We are thrilled to share that an incredible £750,000 was raised for Spark Inside at The October Club Annual Dinner, held at The Savoy.
The unforgettable evening brought together passionate and generous supporters who united behind our mission to transform the lives of young people in prison and on release through coaching.
We were honoured to have Lord Timpson OBE, Minister of State for Prisons, Probation and Reducing Reoffending, speak on our behalf and champion our work. In his inspiring speech, he reflected on the power of second chances and the potential for people who have been to prison to grow in confidence, purpose and contribution when given the opportunity to thrive.
We were also privileged to be represented by Spark Inside Champion Javel, who shared his powerful personal story of how coaching changed his life. During the evening, guests were the first to see our brand new film, featuring Donell and Coach Jeffrey, who spoke about their coaching journey together – and we were delighted that Donell joined us on the night.
Thanks to the incredible generosity of everyone who attended, the funds raised will enable Spark Inside to expand our operations in the East Midlands seven-fold, reaching more than 300 young people with our transformational coaching programmes in the coming years.
As Javel said in his moving speech:
“Spark Inside supported me to ensure that the spark inside me turned into a roaring flame that never extinguishes. By supporting Spark Inside, you are providing opportunities to people like myself who were at the turning point in their lives and just needed a little help to finally start living, breathing, and walking with purpose.”
We are so grateful to everyone who made this milestone possible — The October Club Committee, the Spark Inside team and Spark Inside Champions Jonno, Javel, and Donell, and all those who contributed to this monumental achievement.