1980 - Impact Launch

 
Impact was established as a partnership in March 1980.  The motivation of the three founders was to pioneer experiential learning, a methodology that enables people to learn through their own experiences, instead of more traditional classroom-based teachings.

Today, Impact's Managing Director is one of the original founders - David Williams. These pages contain some of our history....

During the first year the three partners took no salary from the business. The company bought a run down minibus, essential to delivering programmes, and painted it in corporate colours by hand, running out of paint half way through. David’s coal shed doubled as an equipment store. The partners even slept in sleeping bags outside the hotels where they were hosting training sessions to save money. The main clients during the first year were the Probation Services, Post Office, BNFL and British Coal. Impact had pioneered innovative programmes of intermediate treatment for young offenders aimed at breaking the criminal cycle.

Any quiet weeks during the first years were filled by running day activities in canoeing, climbing, walking, caving, orienteering and sailing for boy scouts, holiday makers and school groups.

After 18 months the original partnership ended, with one partner going his own way.  This coincided with the employment of our first full time facilitator - who is still with us now!  From then on the remaining partners made a pact that the company would always have an open and honest culture.

[Photo above shows early Impact training programme (1982)]

[Top image shows Impact's first corporate logo]