“When I joined Spark Inside, one thing was clear to me: Coaching in prisons was just the most exciting thing to be part of. And to this day, Spark Inside’s purpose – unlocking individual’s potential and driving culture change in prisons – remains to me, utterly compelling.
In this sector and in society as a whole, many may find themselves asking, ‘Is transformational change in prisons possible’? Well, this impact report shows that it is, and that should be hugely encouraging to anyone who reads it. Despite huge challenges, this report demonstrates significant, lasting change in young people’s lives made possible by their own commitment, effort and unique strengths. And it truly shows the power of coaching.
An incredible 96% of young people reported making progress in their lives. In real life terms that meant for one young person:
“Every area of my life, [my coach] sat down and helped me realise what I could do better, and I’ve taken that on board. I’ve now got my own business, which I’m building, I have the highest paying job I’ve ever been in by far and I’m in a healthy relationship. Everything is better now.”
This year we were delighted to see the results of an independent Cost Benefit Analysis of our Hero’s Journey programme, which found that every £1 invested in the Hero’s Journey generates at least £5.94 of benefits, for criminal justice agencies, health services, victims and employers. This means that the savings generated for society significantly outweigh the cost of our programme, which we were very pleased to hear.
2022/23 has been a year characterised by growth, exciting milestones and new adventures — we are so proud to have coached more prison staff including 9 Governors, expanded into a new prison and successfully piloted Black Hero’s Journey.
So how did we do it?
We were keen to make up for lost time from the pandemic, and to reach many more people who live and work in prisons. The team had to grow to do so and this year we welcomed:
- Eight new coaches to our brilliant highly qualified, accredited team
- Three new Service Delivery Managers to expand our reach in prisons
- Three new trustees, two new Board Fellows and our first Ambassador
- Five new Champions to inform and shape our work.
I am very proud to work with this passionate and expert group.
