“Having run an education charity, I really appreciate the approach Impetus takes to working with partner organisations, which is all to rare; forming genuine partnerships over the long term, providing meaningful unrestricted funding and focusing relentlessly on impact. I'm really excited to start working with our partner organisations to help improve the lives of the young people they support ”

"My previous experience in university settings, justice issues, and the broader education sector has highlighted the importance of strategic approaches in creating opportunities for the youth. Joining the Impetus team allows me to refine and align my skills with a mission that drives meaningful and impactful change."

"My life has been profoundly shaped by educational opportunities which broadened my career prospects and helped me to better understand the world’s complexities - but I know too many people aren't as lucky. I’m thrilled to be part of an organisation that is not only expanding access but also striving to shift the narrative about underserved communities and amplify diverse voices on education and employment."

“Since joining Impetus, I have frequently been struck by the exceptional knowledge, skills and determination of my colleagues. So many people are determined to create a fairer future for the next generation, however what sets Impetus staff apart is how they approach this challenge in a strategic and clever way which in turn enables our partner organisations to excel and more young people to succeed”

“Young people are the future of the UK and yet, investment in their future through education and youth employment continues to be limited. Particularly in the wake of challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic and an ongoing cost of living crisis, Impetus' efficient, evidence-led approach is more crucial than ever. I'm thrilled to be part of such a spirited team, whose work makes a meaningful and visible contribution to people's lives.”

"I wanted to be part of Impetus’ mission because I care deeply about the third sector and the impact we can achieve. It’s possible to dramatically change lives by bringing the rights skills, experience, and passion together. Young people, our partner organisations, donors and Impetus do just that and its magic to be a part of. "

"Working with some of our partner organisations on their response to the Covid-19 crisis was eye-opening – I was so impressed by their understanding of the challenge, restlessness to maintain impact during lockdown, and their focus on ensuring long-term financial sustainability. I loved being able to support such driven teams through such a difficult period."

“Too many of my friends from school didn’t get the opportunities I did, but the organisations Impetus works with are putting that right. I love to hear the inspirational before and after stories from the young people those organisations work with. Transformational change is possible.”

Read Ben's blogs.

"I joined Impetus because I am inspired by its commitment to ensuring all children, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds, receive the support they need to thrive in school. Having been the first in my family to attend university, I understand the transformative power of education. My role at Impetus allows me to leverage research and insights to influence policy and decision-makers, and I am excited to contribute to Impetus' mission after a decade in higher education."

"After a decade working in educational leadership across both mainstream and alternative provision, I witnessed firsthand the pressing need for systemic change. At Impetus, I am committed to supporting and enabling colleagues to drive impact and empower organisations supporting young people across the UK."

“At our team away day we held some success and failure awards – which were both hilarious and poignant. It felt great to see everyone in crazy wigs, cheering each other on. We hit gold every time we mix our robust and driven culture with caring and fun.”

“When I volunteered with one of our partner organisations at an East London school, I saw that they had made a remarkable difference to young people - improving their grades at school and future aspirations. The charity was clear: they increased their impact by working with Impetus. This has given me confidence that the money I raise from donors really is a great investment.”

“Having spent the last five years working in social investment, I’ve always been driven to work in social justice. The brilliant thing about Impetus is the commitment of everyone to work together to dismantle the systemic inequality facing young people from less advantaged backgrounds. It is so exciting to be able to support amazing organisations who are striving for young people to be given the same life opportunities regardless of the barriers they are facing.”

"At Impetus we're lucky enough to work with a lot of people who care deeply about making things better - who want to improve lives and create opportunities, to make society fairer. What I find inspiring is that we know we have the tools to achieve that, to translate those good intentions into real change and deliver on our mission."

“Impetus’ commitment to improving how organisations use evidence – whether that’s for continuous improvement of their delivery; to inform strategic decisions; or to hold themselves to account to partners and funders – is one I share passionately. I’ve experienced first-hand the combination of support and challenge that Impetus provides to organisations and their leaders, and I’m driven to play this role with my partner organisations, to improve the lives of the young people they work with.”

"When I first encountered Impetus, I was intrigued by their approach to working with portfolio partners. The investment in terms of time and unrestricted income they make available to their portfolio partners, and the rigour and commitment they make to each is significant and inspiring. Ultimately, it is about improving the opportunities for young people whom the portfolio partners serve. When I see the work the organisations do and their commitment to real impact for young people I am optimistic for them. Impetus donors and supporters have made significant investments in us so we can be effective and impactful for our portfolio partners. It is a really impressive model and I am delighted to be a part of it."

“I strongly believe that those with the broadest shoulders should bear the most weight. I’m proud to work for an organisation that exists to capacity build high potential organisations to enhance their impact, in order to better serve children and young people from disadvantaged backgrounds. Understanding from both personal and professional experience how invaluable that support can be is what drives me to keep giving my best and support my team to do so as well.”

“Coming from a small education charity working with young people, I was truly inspired by the incredible work that Impetus do to support such a diverse range of organisations, each uniquely helping young people from disadvantaged backgrounds to succeed. Since joining I’ve been struck by how passionate and intelligent everyone is and I’m looking forward to being part of such a great team driving for change.”

"I started my career in criminal defence and saw first-hand how poverty and adverse childhood experiences can trap young people in cycles of offending. This drew me to the charity sector, where I worked on designing and evaluating programmes to boost social, emotional, and school outcomes so young people never have to interact with the criminal justice system. Having benefited from Impetus’s support as a portfolio partner, I’m now excited to pay it forward by helping other organisations drive impact for the young people they serve."

“In my previous role as a teacher, I saw first-hand the inequalities and barriers young people from disadvantaged backgrounds face. It is exciting to now be part of a highly motivated team which is tackling these inequalities head on by finding, building and supporting great organisations with interventions that work.”

“Earlier in my career I worked for an organisation that was part of the Impetus portfolio and I saw first hand the transformative affect that support from the team can have. I’m inspired to try and give other organisations the same incredible help that I received and to work with such impactful and thoughtful organisations.”

“The big thing I learnt from running a social enterprise prior to joining Impetus is that for an organisation to have long-lasting impact on a young person’s life – it’s not enough to have a good heart or a great programme; it requires constant self-reflection, dispassionate awareness of performance and making seriously tough decisions day-in, day-out. What I love is that Impetus has the guts to challenge organisations to do so, constantly asking the difficult questions and encouraging those in our portfolio to do better and better... and they tell us it’s working!”

“Having worked in schools with young people from disadvantaged backgrounds in the past and volunteering with free football coaching in the local community currently, I felt that Impetus' mission to transform the lives of young people really aligned with mine.

Since joining here, I have been amazed by the commitment and compassion of the whole team and the way that Impetus empowers portfolio partners to making a real difference in the lives of young people from disadvantaged backgrounds."

“Within a few weeks of joining Impetus I got the opportunity to attend the annual Transforming Lives Dinner, it was great to see the way all staff came together to ensure the event was a success. More importantly, it was inspiring to see the young people that Impetus helps. Watching their personal journeys in the Impetus 2018 film really highlighted the importance of our work and made me feel proud and excited to have joined an organisation that is committed to making a real difference to young people’s lives.”

"The best thing about working at Impetus is the team's strong commitment to helping disadvantaged young people succeed. Every young person deserves to achieve their full potential so being part of a dedicated and compassionate team that helps organisations improve their services and reach more young people is truly inspiring​."

“From my very first day at Impetus, the drive to reach as many young people as possible through our portfolio partners was clear. Small pockets of great practice are not enough. All young people are deserving of the chance to succeed, no matter the barriers they face. The Impetus model is unique in its ability to do that. I am proud to be part of such a dedicated team of people.”

"Too many young people from disadvantaged backgrounds aren't given a genuine opportunity to succeed in education, employment and life. Impetus is committed to addressing this injustice by providing the significant long-term funding and rigorous capacity building support necessary to help organisations who share its mission meaningfully improve outcomes for young people."

"Within my first few days at Impetus, I attended a workshop that one of our donors was hosting and it was incredible to see such a buzz in the room. Everyone gave their all to the day and the young people left with a real sense of being able to achieve anything. It was amazing to be a part of and I love being able to share these moments with our donors and portfolio partners."

"My goal is for equality to be brought about in our society. Providing opportunities for, and access to, education for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds is crucial for a fairer, more equal society - Impetus is driving the structural changes needed to make this vision a reality."

"‘Working with a team of such dedicated and passionate individuals is truly inspirational and I feel blessed to be in a team that strives towards enabling young people to be their best selves despite some of the challenges. I love being able to share the opportunity of impacting the lives of young people through volunteering, working with our donors and portfolio partners alike!”

“Having spent a number of years as a school governor I know how important it is that all young people are supported to get the best start in life. The work that Impetus does is vital and lifechanging, and I am excited about being able to use my skills to help brilliant organisations transform young lives...”

“I have always been keen to help young people and give back. Here at Impetus, I have been able to do that. Whether it has been indirectly with our events or directly through engagement opportunities, I've loved interacting with and supporting the young people we serve. To do this as part of such a supportive and driven team has been great!”

"Impetus is a great marriage of the passion and dedication you would expect from an organisation working to transform the lives of young people from disadvantaged backgrounds with the focus on genuine and measurable impact that an evidence-based approach can yield. The proof is in the results achieved by our portfolio partners, and I'm happy to be working in an organisation punching above its weight by leveraging the best possible interventions by these partners with our own influencing and leadership-building work."

"Having joined from one of Impetus' portfolio partners, I know first-hand how an organisation can benefit from Impetus' support. One of my favourite experiences there was an Impetus Driving Impact Workshop, when the whole organisation came together to agree how we could better reach the young people we existed to serve. We left that workshop inspired and confident in how we could transform the lives of young people from disadvantaged backgrounds."

"I loved visiting a portfolio partner where I met a classroom of 10 year olds full of excitement to learn about going to university. Each child was filled with confidence that they could achieve anything. These real-life outcomes are front and centre of the Impetus model. I know I’m part of an organisation that has a crystal-clear focus on irrevocably transforming the lives of young people from disadvantaged backgrounds."

"I was initially interested in the finance role advertised, but when I viewed the Impetus website to find out more on the organisation, I was drawn to the commitment and mission Impetus has to ensuring children from disadvantaged backgrounds receive support in school, work and life to transform their lives and get the same chances as their better off peers. I believe all children/young people should have the chance of a good education and support and it is clear Impetus strive to do this with a very friendly and knowledgeable staff. My working background has mainly been in the private sector, so this is the first charity I have worked for and really enjoying it."

"I can see what a difference Impetus makes through its portfolio partners, and it is great to work with people with such a passion for helping young people to succeed."

"I joined Impetus because we live in a deeply unequal society. Impetus and its partner organisations don't think that's fair and show that transformational change is possible with the right support. I'm hugely motivated to build relationships that can catalyse that change and enable more young people to thrive."

“Ending a first meeting with a potential portfolio partner and saying to myself ‘this Chief Exec takes nothing for granted, is very reflective about her organisation's impact and is open about her leadership challenges' – that, was a very exciting moment, and the start of a great partnership.”

“I choose to work for Impetus for the impact they have on organisations for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds and provide a gateway to help grow communities."

"Every young person deserves the chance to fulfil their potential. Our portfolio partners strive to support young people from disadvantaged backgrounds to succeed in school and life. It’s a privilege to work with such dedicated partner organisations' teams and see more young people achieve their dreams, particularly in such unprecedented times."

"I could see from day one that everything Impetus does is done thoughtfully and with integrity. Partner organisations' leaders are incredible, determined people and each one deserves expert, personalised support. Each time we provide that, we know that represents several hundred young people’s stories of injustice and system failure turned around."

"Supporting organisations to find what works and taking their impact to scale is more vital than ever in tackling the barriers that hold back too many young people. Impetus and our partners are uniquely placed to take those voices to power and achieve lasting change.”

Susannah will join us in January 2025. Currently the founder and CEO of Action Tutoring, Susannah has built and led one of the UK's leading charities focusing on school attainment, supporting thousands of young people from disadvantaged backgrounds to achieve academically to enable them to progress in education, employment or training and tackle the attainment gap.

Read more about her appointment here.

"Witnessing a partner organisation leader's light bulb moment is exhilarating, whether it's to do with using data to improve the outcomes of their young people or developing a new five-year strategy for their organisation. It's such a privilege to get to play a part in it."