Spark Inside
Spark Inside is a UK charity founded in 2012 that delivers life-coaching programmes — including the trademarked Hero's Journey and The Conversation systems coaching — to young people aged 15-25 in prison, to prison staff, and to young people leaving custody, across London, the South-East, and since 2021 the East Midlands.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2012
- HeadquartersLiverpool, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Spark Inside does
Spark Inside is a UK-registered charity (charity no. 1148420, company no. 7984016) founded in 2012 by Baillie Aaron, delivering life-coaching programmes to young people aged 15-25 affected by the criminal justice system. Its headquarters are at Office 386, Salisbury House, 29 Finsbury Circus, London, with operations across London prisons, a community-coaching channel through Lewisham and Southwark Youth Offending Services, and since July 2021 a presence at HMP Lincoln in the East Midlands via a partnership with Lincolnshire Action Trust. The organisation is led by CEO Vicki Cardwell (appointed January 2020, succeeding the founder), governed by a Board of Trustees chaired by Erica Handling, and operates with a team of 11-50 staff.
The core technology is a proprietary coaching methodology built on the Joseph Campbell Hero's Journey narrative framework, used under licence from the Joseph Campbell Foundation. The portfolio comprises Hero's Journey™ (one-to-one life coaching for young people in prison), Hero's Journey from a Black Perspective (a variant co-designed with young Black men with lived experience of prison, piloted at HMPYOI Isis in February 2020), The Conversation Systems Coaching Programme® (a facilitated group process bringing up to 60 prison staff and prisoners together to shift wing culture), a Prison Staff Coaching service, a Community Life Coaching programme for those recently released or at risk, and In-Prison Advisory Boards that allow beneficiaries to shape strategy. An independent evaluation by The Social Investment Consultancy has documented a one-third reduction in reoffending, an 81% improvement in Incentives and Earned Privileges entries, and 94% of coached staff reporting progress.
The business model is that of a UK charitable organisation: revenue is generated entirely through donations, grants, and match-funded crowdfunding (notably the Big Give Christmas Challenge, which raised £43,543 in 2018, £67,691 in 2019, and £57,793 in 2020), with support from foundations including Garfield Weston, CHK, Topinambour, Schusterman, Garden Court Chambers, Barrow Cadbury, and ROI Community. Service delivery is direct to UK prison establishments (Belmarsh, Wandsworth, HMPYOI Isis, Brixton, Wormwood Scrubs, Lincoln) and through statutory partnerships with youth offending services; a social-licensing strategy is being developed to allow independent organisations to deliver Hero's Journey nationally. Pricing signals (£25 workshop materials, £100 Hero's Journey workshop for up to eight participants, £500 Conversation workshop per wing) reflect donor contribution tiers rather than commercial pricing.
Spark Inside firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Spark Inside
- Legal name
- Spark Inside
- Website
- https://sparkinside.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2012
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Spark Inside is a UK charity founded in 2012 that delivers life-coaching programmes — including the trademarked Hero's Journey and The Conversation systems coaching — to young people aged 15-25 in prison, to prison staff, and to young people leaving custody, across London, the South-East, and since 2021 the East Midlands.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Spark Inside industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Prison rehabilitation coaching services
- NAICS
- Educational Support Services (611710), Child and Youth Services (62411), Professional and Management Development Training (61143)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) & Emotional Regulation Programs (EDAMAIAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Youth-to-Adult Transition & Life Skills (Independent Living, Soft Skills) (EDAAAFAN), Growth Mindset, Motivation & Goal-Setting Programs (EDAMAIAE), Staff Training, Coaching & Professional Development (SEL/Mental Health) (EDAKAMAL)
Keywords
Where Spark Inside is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Liverpool
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Spark Inside business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Donations and Grants: Charity funded primarily through donations, grants, and match-funding campaigns such as the Big Give Christmas Challenge. Receives support from charitable foundations and individual donors.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | One time/ perpetual license | Donation-based support for coaching programmes |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels8 records
Spark Inside product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Spark Inside is a UK charity that delivers structured life coaching and systems coaching programmes to young people aged 15-25 in prison and to prison staff. The Hero's Journey™ programme provides one-to-one life coaching to young men in custody to build motivation, pro-social identity and reduce reoffending, while The Conversation Systems Coaching Programme® brings prisoners and prison staff together in facilitated group coaching to improve relationships and prison wing culture.
Product overview
Spark Inside is a charitable organisation offering a portfolio of coaching programmes focused on rehabilitation in the criminal justice system. The core offering consists of Hero's Journey™ (individual life coaching for young people aged 15–25 in prison) and The Conversation (systems coaching bringing together prisoners and prison staff). The organisation also offers specialised programme variants including Hero's Journey™ from a Black Perspective, community-based coaching for those released from custody, coaching for prison staff, and in-prison advisory boards that give young people a voice in shaping the organisation's work.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Hero's Journey™: Award-winning life coaching programme specifically for young men (aged 15 to 25) in prison. Has been statistically proven to improve young men's wellbeing, confidence, resilience, decision-making, problem-solving skills, and perspective on the future. Includes variants: Hero's Journey (standard) and Hero's Journey from a Black Perspective (tailored for young Black men).
- The Conversation™
- Being Well Being Equal
Products and services
- Hero's Journey™ Award-winning, structured one-to-one life coaching programme for young men aged 15-25 in prison, designed to build motivation to change, decrease in-prison violence, develop pro-social identity, and reduce reoffending. Statistically proven to improve wellbeing, confidence, resilience, decision-making, problem-solving skills, and future outlook.
- The Conversation (Systems Coaching Programme®) Systems coaching programme that brings together up to 60 prison staff and prisoners in a facilitated group coaching process to enhance relationships, improve empathy, and support sustained positive cultural change on prison wings.
- Hero's Journey™ from a Black Perspective Life coaching programme adapted specifically for young Black men in prison, co-designed with young Black men with lived experience, addressing the over-representation of young Black men in the prison system and the specific experiences they face.
- Community Life Coaching Programme Tailored one-to-one life coaching intervention delivered in the community for young people recently released from custody or at risk of entering custody, delivered in partnership with Youth Offending Services in London boroughs.
- Prison Staff Coaching Life coaching service for prison officers and staff providing dedicated and structured time to reflect, set goals, and develop personally and professionally, while also improving their interactions with people living in prison.
- In-Prison Advisory Boards Advisory boards that allow young people in prison to voice their opinions and shape Spark Inside's strategy, delivery, and campaigns, ensuring beneficiary participation in programme design.
Quantifiable outcome
- Reduces reoffending by one third
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Spark Inside
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Spark Inside technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
Spark Inside partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.
- Lincolnshire Action TrustcorePartnership to deliver Hero's Journey life coaching programme at HMP Lincoln. First time Spark Inside delivered programmes outside London and South-East. Lincolnshire Action Trust offers resettlement and rehabilitation interventions.
- Barrow Cadbury Trust (T2A initiative)supportingSupported the Being Well Being Equal campaign short film exploring mental health and wellbeing support for young Black men in prison. Part of Transition to Adulthood (T2A) initiative.
- Lewisham Youth Offending ServicecorePartnership to deliver tailored life coaching intervention to young people recently released from custody or at risk of entering custody in Lewisham borough.
- Southwark Youth Offending ServicecorePartnership to deliver tailored life coaching intervention to young people recently released from custody or at risk of entering custody in Southwark borough.
- Dr. Bianca Bailey WilsonsupportingAdvisory board member for Hero's Journey from a Black Perspective programme development and design.
- Dr. Patrick WilliamssupportingAdvisory board member for Hero's Journey from a Black Perspective programme development and design.
- Dr. Remi-Joseph-SalisburysupportingAdvisory board member for Hero's Journey from a Black Perspective programme development and design.
- Her Majesty's Prison & Probation Service (HMPPS)supportingHMPPS representatives Adrian Stretch and Cassandra Beckford on advisory board for Hero's Journey from a Black Perspective programme.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Spark Inside competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Switchback: UK charity providing one-to-one mentoring and life coaching for young men leaving prison. Directly comparable to Spark Inside's Hero's Journey model targeting the same 18-30 age cohort re-entering society after custody.
- Khulisa: UK charity delivering social and emotional development programmes inside prisons and with young people at risk of offending. Comparable intervention model (emotional regulation and behaviour change) to Spark Inside's Hero's Journey.
- User Voice: UK charity building councils and participation structures inside prisons that give prisoners a voice in shaping conditions and rehabilitation. Comparable to Spark Inside's In-Prison Advisory Boards and culture-change work.
- St Giles Trust: Major UK charity supporting ex-offenders and at-risk young people through advice, mentoring and resettlement. Overlaps with Spark Inside's community coaching and post-release work, although at much larger scale.
- Key4Life: UK charity working with young people in prisons and at risk of reoffending, delivering personal development programmes. Comparable target demographic and rehabilitation focus to Spark Inside's Hero's Journey.
Broad incumbents
- Catch22: Large UK social business delivering rehabilitation, education, and offender support across the prison estate. Broader portfolio than Spark Inside but operates overlapping prison rehabilitation services.
- Nacro: Established UK charity providing housing, education, training and resettlement services to ex-offenders. Comparable rehabilitative mission at much larger scale and broader service scope than Spark Inside.
Others
- Prison Reform Trust: UK advocacy charity working on criminal justice policy and prisoner rights. Comparable prison-sector focus but operates through lobbying and research rather than direct delivery like Spark Inside.
- Clinks: UK infrastructure body supporting voluntary sector organisations working in the criminal justice system. Comparable ecosystem role; Spark Inside's former Board Chair Roma Hooper also chaired Clinks.
- Lincolnshire Action Trust: UK charity delivering resettlement and rehabilitation interventions in Lincolnshire prisons. Comparable prison rehabilitation focus; Spark Inside's strategic delivery partner for HMP Lincoln expansion.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Spark Inside social profiles
Digital presenceSpark Inside compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Spark Inside financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Spark Inside leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles13 records
Spark Inside funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Spark Inside M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Spark Inside
What does Spark Inside do?
Spark Inside is a UK charity that delivers structured life coaching and systems coaching programmes to young people aged 15-25 in prison and to prison staff. The Hero's Journey™ programme provides one-to-one life coaching to young men in custody to build motivation, pro-social identity and reduce reoffending, while The Conversation Systems Coaching Programme® brings prisoners and prison staff together in facilitated group coaching to improve relationships and prison wing culture.
Is Spark Inside a public or private company?
Spark Inside is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Spark Inside founded?
Spark Inside was founded in 2012. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Spark Inside based?
Spark Inside is headquartered in Liverpool, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Spark Inside make money?
One revenue line is on record: donations and Grants.
Who are Spark Inside's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Switchback, Khulisa, User Voice, St Giles Trust and Key4Life. Broad incumbents are Catch22 and Nacro. Others are Prison Reform Trust, Clinks and Lincolnshire Action Trust.
Does Spark Inside have an API?
No public API is recorded for Spark Inside.
What industry is Spark Inside in?
Spark Inside's product category is Prison rehabilitation coaching services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAMAIAC, Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) & Emotional Regulation Programs, with a secondary code of EDAAAFAN, Youth-to-Adult Transition & Life Skills (Independent Living, Soft Skills). Its NAICS code is 611710.