A brief history of timeGREAT LEAPS
Back in 2005, Jamie kicked things off with a project called Motivation Training at Mid Kent College. He worked with young people who were finding school tough — and while the first Great Leaps logo might have been a bit questionable (we all start somewhere!), it was the first big step on our adventure.
By 2007, Great Leaps was starting to find its stride. Jamie was lecturing in Public Services and Functional Skills Maths, and the logo got a facelift too — this time proudly shouting Training!
Next came a partnership with Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council, who asked Great Leaps to deliver a staff training package at the Angel Centre in Tonbridge. We ran sessions on multi-sports, activity planning, and youth engagement — and it went down a storm. That success led to us rolling out Day Certificates in Sports Leadership for teachers and youth workers, giving them new tools to inspire their own young people.
As Jamie’s work moved more into Sports and Outdoor Adventure Activities Lecturing, Great Leaps grew with him. We started working with schools across Kent, running Sports Leadership programmes at Levels 1, 2, and 3.
Then in 2010, another logo change (yes, we’ve had a few!). Great Leaps shifted gears again — this time into quality management and improvement for a range of BTEC, YMCA, and Active IQ qualifications.
Fast forward to 2017–2018, and Great Leaps was called in to consult for Kent Pupil Referral Units. The mission? To bring adventurous outdoor activities to young people who’d been excluded from school, helping them reconnect with learning and build confidence in maths and English. This sparked more exciting work, including writing qualification support packs for NCFE Sport and Outdoor courses.
By 2018, Great Leaps was growing fast. We were asked to provide activities for Medway Secure Training Centre, and it felt like time for another transformation — new logo, new energy, and a new name: Great Leaps Adventure Education. We’d officially leapt from small-scale training to becoming a trusted provider for schools across Kent. Our team grew too — with Graeme Pryke and Michael Anderson-Jones joining the adventure. Together, we spotted a growing need for outdoor-based mental health support for both children and adults.
In early 2019, we evolved again, becoming Great Leaps Adventure CIC — a Community Interest Company with community and wellbeing at its heart. Graeme and Michael joined Jamie and Joanne as Directors, ready to make a bigger difference.
Then came COVID-19, which tested everyone — but with amazing support from our partners, we came out stronger than ever.
In 2022, things shifted again. Jamie stepped down as Managing Director, and Graeme took the reins. David joined the team to help with delivery (because, honestly, we were busier than ever!). Early 2023 saw Jamie and Joanne moving on to new adventures, leaving Graeme and Michael to steer Great Leaps into its next exciting chapter.
By the end of 2023, we were flying — working with National Charities, Local Authorities, schools, and community groups. We also received major central government funding and started new collaborations with the University of Greenwich, Central YMCA, The Prince’s Trust, and Involve Kent. Around this time, David officially joined Graeme and Michael as a Director.
The next couple of years brought even more growth — and more great people joining the team. As the summer of 2025 wrapped up and autumn rolled in, we launched one of our most exciting projects yet: our very own Forest School, called Little Leaps! This new adventure welcomed Tracy, Fiona, Helen, Lianne, and Lucy (who pops in to lend a hand when needed) to the crew.
We’re absolutely buzzing about the future — growing, learning, and reaching even more amazing young people and families in our community.
And if you want to keep up with all the latest adventures, stories, and occasional shenanigans, don’t forget to subscribe to our bi-monthly newsletter: Robbie’s Roundup!
