But somewhere between a birthday cake, a solo bus trip, and a photo of two people in love, it started doing something else. It helped rethink the way a chairman leads, an organisation’s strategy and how its people connect in their day-to-day lives.

Challenge

Peak15 supports hundreds of people across a wide range of services. Their teams are local, hands-on, and deeply connected to the people they work with. But like many social care organisations, leadership often sits at a distance – spread thin by schedules, responsibilities, and geography.

Chairman David Holmes knew that traditional updates like emails, reports, and internal comms only got him so far. They told him what was happening. But not how it felt. In a field that revolves around human connection, that wasn’t enough. What was missing was a more immediate, organic way for leadership to stay connected with what really matters to the people Peak15 supports and the teams who deliver it.

A platform for everyone

It took a year for Peak15 to create Big Life Adventure – a digital platform where the people they help can connect safely, share freely, and shape their own lives.
David found himself checking it each morning. Not because he had to, but because he wanted to. 
It became part of his daily routine, like reading the news. But instead of delivering headlines, it delivered 
moments. A cake baked in supported housing. A solo bus trip, shared with pride. A post about love. Simple. 
Honest. Undeniably human.
“I see what people are doing across our organisation, and interact with them. There’s never been anything 
else like it. Certainly not for someone in my role,” said David. “It wasn’t just the visibility that made a difference 
– it was the emotional impact. It was joyful to see those things, and it really brings home to you the absolute 
power of Big Life Adventure.”


A clearer view of what matters

One post that stood out for David came from a young man who shared a photo with his girlfriend and wrote how happy she makes him.

“Seeing that in the middle of my day, it just hit me. That’s why we do what we do.”

No marketing campaign. No formal feedback. But a genuine moment, shared in real time – connecting and informing, and giving leaders the kind of context reports can’t match.


A culture that grows

By checking in each day, David got a real sense of the organisation’s emotional temperature. Celebrations, achievements, struggles – unfiltered, unforced and surfacing naturally, giving context and colour.

He also saw how Peak15’s staff and the people they support interacted with genuine warmth and equality, reinforcing the inclusive culture Peak15 strives for.


Lived experience. Sharper thinking

Big Life Adventure became a source of both information and reflection. The small, everyday posts from people inside and outside the business gave David and his leadership team a true sense of what matters – and the direction the organisation should take. That perspective now feeds directly into strategy and long-term planning, and has helped guide David’s own leadership style.
“Big Life Adventure has helped me refine my understanding. And my senior colleagues would say the same. It’s been a learning process for all of us. It’s not just a vision anymore. It’s lived experience, showing us day-by-day what good really looks like in social care.”


A different kind of conversation

Beyond strategy and insight, Big Life Adventure has also started to shift Peak15’s internal culture. It’s created new ways for people across the organisation to connect – not only about work, but by sharing personal moments too.
That openness has helped dismantle outdated ideas about professionalism. Where work once trumped relationships, there’s now space for genuine interaction at every level.

“I love that our staff are sharing what’s going on in their lives too. It breaks down some of those old 
boundaries and really brings us together as a community. When all’s said and done, we’re just human 
beings sharing space together.”

The result is a more open, inclusive culture, where connection is natural, visibility builds trust, and conversation runs both ways.


To sum up

Big Life Adventure was built to give people more ownership over their lives rather than change how leaders lead. At Peak15, it’s done both.
What began as a space for personal growth became a source of connection, clarity and cultural shift. For David Holmes and the leadership team, it replaced distance with presence, offering invaluable daily insights rooted in real people’s moments and lives.
Big Life Adventure shows that when the right tool is built for the right reasons with empathy and accessibility in mind, the impact doesn’t stop with the people it was made for. It reaches further – across roles, across levels, and all the way to the top – redefining what leadership visibility means in the social care sector.