North East digital and design agency JUMP celebrate their 10 year anniversary as they set their sights on further growth

Founded by Lucy Batley and Robert Brown back in early 2007, JUMP who are this year celebrating their 10th anniversary are a digital and creative agency providing branding and design solutions to a range of businesses across the North East and beyond. Their celebrations follow Lucy’s recent appointment as Ambassador for Creative and Digital for the Institute of Directors (IoD’s) regional committee.

Based at Milburn House on Dean Street in Newcastle since 2009, the once team of 6 has grown steadily over the years to a strong group of 20, consisting of a mix of designers, developers and support staff.
Offering a range of services under one roof across brand, design, web and digital, the team pride themselves on being able to deliver bespoke solutions to clients including National Trust, Newcastle University, NE1, People’s Theatre, Tyneside Cinema and Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Trust amongst many more.

Robert Brown, Co-founder and Managing Director at JUMP said;
“We are delighted to have reached the 10-year milestone in our business. Being able to offer both creative and digital services in-house is something we feel has helped set JUMP apart from our competitors. We are fortunate to have a range of complementary skills sets in both designers and creatives who work collaboratively to bring together brilliant design and technology solutions for our client base. We stick to a simple process of understanding and listening to the needs of our customers from the start, then put quite simply, for each project, we will design it, build it, launch it and support it, all under one roof.”

Co-founder and Creative Director Lucy Batley said;
“We have certainly come a long way in 10 years since Rob and I met in our shared office space in Jesmond back in 2007. At the time, we both had our own businesses providing complimentary services with Rob involved in technology and me in design. We used to joke that there were only 12 steps between us and it was within weeks that we started working together figuring 2 heads were definitely better than one. The rest is history and JUMP was born, aptly named to represent our journey in taking a leap of faith but also highlighting our ambition to help our customers take a step up in their own businesses.

We were delighted to double turnover within the last 3 years, increasing profitability by 50% and staff appointments by 30%, something that we continue to build on. We now say that 5 heads are better than one as the business continues to grow and have developed a leadership team that meet regularly to help shape the future direction of JUMP as we plan for the next 10 years. We have a strong customer base and loyal staff, without which we could not have achieved what we have today.”

JUMP also pride themselves on harnessing a strong culture of leadership and continued learning, encouraging development as a way of life for both themselves and their staff.

Lucy added;

“We are strong believers that you should never stop learning and that at the heart of every good designer and developer should be someone who is curious. As a team, we are passionate about promoting the importance of being inquisitive and encourage our staff to be the best they can be, to put themselves out there and learn as much as they can. From development courses to simply absorbing the breadth of design and ideas that are around them every day, we encourage our staff to take it all in and bring that learning back into the business.”

The ethos for learning, leading and sharing is highlighted in both Rob and Lucy’s commitment to being mentored themselves through a programme run by the North East LEP but also through their roles outside of JUMP. For Rob this involves being Director at the Three Rivers Learning Trust based in Morpeth who decide upon strategy issues for the three academies that sit within its area of responsibility.

Lucy however has recently been appointed Ambassador for Creative and Digital for the Institute of Directors (IoD’s) regional committee. The position aims to help grow the profile of North East business and ensure it is represented within the IoD’s influential, national policy voice. She also wants to use her influence to encourage more women into the creative sector and help in the quest to retain much needed talent within the North East.

To support JUMP’s ongoing expansion, the team is taking on larger office space within Milburn House and will be looking to make a range of new appointments over the next 12 months.