Impact – A force for good

Our purpose

We partner with our clients to solve the complex economic, social, and environmental problems that challenge humanity, by liberating the human potential in their organisations.

Impact celebrated 40 years of being in business during the pandemic. It didn’t feel like a celebration. Now 2022 feels like a good time for us to reignite our energy and passion for the work that we do and to connect with our network. To mark this, employees at Impact are taking part in an adventure office move to our new offices at Kelsick, 5km away from our HQ, in Ambleside. The aim is to promote positive action for the Sustainable Development Goals and climate change (COP26 action) all of which make up much of our core work with our customers and are many of the reasons our employees choose to work at Impact.?

Cragwood has been our HQ for over thirty years and now it’s time for a change. We are moving to a refurbished grammar school with the best view in the Lake District. Impact is a global business partnering with clients across the Americas, EMEA and the Asia Pacific. We are proud of the work we carry out in partnership with our clients many of whom are taking positive action for the good of the planet and our communities.?

The #Force4Good initiative started its journey last week in our first international office in Japan. Our team in Tokyo walked 15km on a journey of memories of our pioneering time in Japan. They carried a Tasuki (Sash), this sash is a traditional Japanese relay baton that is taken up by each ensuing leg lead on what is called an Ekiden. In the Lakes, there will be 17 legs of the Ekiden one for each of the SDGs with four additional shorter legs that together will make up a 150km adventure journey from our old office to our new one.??

The journey is also a celebration of the Lake District, the beautiful environment in which Impact grew up and still lives and works in harmony with our network of stakeholders. We have interviewed many of these and their stories are available to read on our website.?

We are also raising money on our journey for Mind Over Mountains - a charity set up to help people with mental health challenges by using the mountain environment. It was set up by one of our collaborators Alex Staniforth. ?

Our hope?

We hope that our adventurous journey will inspire you to consider what actions you or your organisation or family should take to ensure our planet is left the way we want it to be for future generations.

We believe in responsible business and so do many of our clients whom we are proud to partner with including Solvay, Scania, The Vita Group, Morgan Advanced Materials, Inov8 and Barry Callebaut, all of whom are committed to responsible business practice.?

We are also joined by our network of stakeholders, and collaborators in our ecology of purpose including Paul Rose of Nat Geo Pristine seas, entrepreneur Winnie Poaty, climate photographer Ashley Cooper, the Royal Geographical Society,non-exec director Sue Hunt and local business in the Lake District including Rinaldo’s, More bakery, Homeground café, Swim the Lakes, The Yan, Nito Design, The Barbers of Windermere, Coniston Corporate and Long Valley Yurts. All are committed to responsible business practice and taking a stand and making a difference.?

Our inspiration?

Here are some thoughts from Founder and CEO David Williams:?

I first came to the Lake District in 1974 at age 18 to attend Charlotte Mason College in Ambleside. I was training as a teacher in Adventure Education, Geography and Art. My hall of residence was Kelsick, the old Grammar School that looks out over the village of Ambleside, the mountains, and the top of Windermere. It was love at first sight. I left college in 1977 but was determined to live in the Lakes. After working for a couple of years for Outward Bound in Wales, Whitehall Centre in the Peak District and Lakeland Training Group I realised that the only way of securing my dream job was to start up my own business. So, at 23 years old, Impact was created here in the Lake District.

In my role as CEO, I travel to all our offices globally on a regular basis, I am lucky to have experienced many different cultures and to have worked in some amazing places around the globe, but I still look forward to coming home.

There is a real sense of community here, it’s a place with a strong history and culture, but is also a hub for innovation and creativity with a surprising diversity of people and backgrounds. I can’t think of a better place to have brought up my family.

Initially, from farming roots, I spend much of my free time rearing rare breed cattle and sheep on the land and hills around our hotels. Nothing gives me more pleasure than spending a day in the mountains, wandering through the same places that have inspired poets, writers and artists throughout the years. ? ?

When we founded Impact here in the heart of the Lake District, we had no idea it would grow into the global organisation it now is. We initially worked with young offenders, school groups and apprentices, but soon recognised that our skills in experiential learning and development training are just as applicable to people in the corporate world. Working with managers from BT, Apple, Marks and Spencer and various government departments helped us to build our reputation for outdoor management development. I am still in touch with some of our early participants, most of whom also fell in love with the Lakes and as a result, either got married here, holidayed here or even retired here. In 1985 we bought our first hotel on the shores of Windermere, Cragwood Country House Hotel, soon to be followed by Merewood and Brierywood hotels, all within 100 yards of each other.???

In 1987 we were invited to Japan where we established our first global office. This gave us a taste of doing business globally and Impact became international, with offices established across Europe, America, and Asia Pacific. Our work is recognisably similar, wherever we are in the world, but the Lake District is always respected and recognised as the place where it all began. Home!??

In 2017, I heard that Kelsick, my old student residence which had laid empty and unloved for seven years was available, so we bought it. I like to think that we saved it from almost certain demolition. Renovating the building has been a labour of love, especially as we battled through Covid19, but I am confident that we will be moving in this year.

So Kelsick, the first place I lived in the Lake District, will now become our new global headquarters. Impact’s global centre for experiential learning.?

The Force for Good journey from our old office at Cragwood, to our new office at Kelsick, is a metaphor for making a positive difference in the world. We are joined in person and in spirit by clients, colleagues, and friends as we make our way from the old to the new and commit to action on achieving the 17 SDGs. ?

Impact’s purpose is to partner with our clients to solve the complex economic, social, and environmental problems that challenge humanity, by liberating the human potential in their organisations. ?

I’ve always seen Impact as a catalyst for positive change, an inspiration for taking action, and an accelerator for achieving results. As part of our work, we have and always will bring the Sustainable Development Goals to the centre of what we are doing. I focus every day on goals 10,13,14 and 15. Personally, I want us to do even more to enable our clients to create and innovate new practices, products and services that halt climate change, turn around the frightening loss of biodiversity and focus on improving social equity If we can make an Impact on this, then for me it will be Job Well Done.?

If you would like to sponsor the Impact team and donate to Mind over Mountains, you can do it here.