Since 2019...
Spark2Life has worked with mainstream schools and Pupil Referral Units in London, Essex, Kent, and Buckinghamshire to deliver prevention programmes for children and young people (11-17 years) who are at risk of exclusion or have experience of involvement in the criminal justice system. We deliver mentoring programmes, workshops and assembly sessions.
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Have a look below for more info on our schools prevention work or drop us an email to find out more!
Feedback from professionals & lives touched
Emily Sayer, Head of Personal Development and PSHCE
I absolutely love working with Spark2Life and think that you are incredible organisation who does fantastic work, which has a huge impact on our young people.
I am Emily Sayer, and I am Head of Personal Development and PSHCE at Holy Family, Walthamstow.
As part of my role, I work closely with Spark2Life, and have worked with the team particularly closely this year. The team has delivered assemblies to our young people concerning topics such as stop & search, avoiding violence on the streets and their rights and responsibilities as citizens. In addition, the team has delivered workshops to groups of our Y10 and Y11 students who are vulnerable to making the wrong choices in the community, as well as bespoke mentoring to a select few students who have struggled with particular issues (including racism and subsequent anger, support with turning away from gang involvement following a student being stabbed, and lack of interest in school with repeated exclusions and anti-social behaviour in the community).
Firstly, I would like to say that Spark2Life's interventions have been invaluable. Every member of the team who I have encountered is not only passionate, but is also talented in building the rapport needed to effectively communicate and guide our young people. Whilst our pastoral team at Holy Family is both strong and effective, Spark2Life is able to offer students something which we as teachers cannot.
As you can imagine, in a diverse school such as ours, and in the current climate of a cost of living crisis, the prevalence of gang activity in Walthamstow and a general lack of resources in schools, Spark2Life's interventions are more important to us than ever.
have been working with the team for a long time now and am extremely grateful for all their work they do. I wanted to write to you at this stage of the academic year to ask that the funding provided by the borough which has allowed Spark2Life to work at Holy Family in this way this year is renewed, so that the team can continue to deliver their vital services at our school.
"It is integral that Spark2Life are able to continue their work at Holy Family as the impact is so clear."
Shaun's story
Shaun is a very well-known young person borough-wide due to his older brother being a renowned member of an established gang as well as Shaun’s affiliation with another local gang. Shaun was stabbed at the beginning of the academic year by a rival gang member, within minutes of leaving the Pupil Referral Unit (PRU) after school. In the same month Shaun was again a target of the same gang and was chased by members while he was on his way home from school with friends. Following the multiple incidents, Professionals within the local authority (LA) deemed it unsafe for Shaun to return to the school site because of the safeguarding risks.
Shaun had to access most of his last year in secondary education virtually which was a struggle. Shaun and his family were also moved to another Borough which made Shaun feel isolated. Shaun struggled to adjust to the change of environment and felt as though he didn't have any friendship and connections in his new area.
Spark2Life (S2L) was mentoring Shaun when he was at school and sought out the school’s approval to continue these mentoring sessions face-to-face with them in his new area, to which they both agreed. S2L visited Shaun in his local area on a few occasions, which he really appreciated.
Shaun then took part in a custom-made IT training course that S2L arranged where he received AQA training from S2L’s IT tutor to become an IT first responder. During the mentoring sessions following Shaun’s move, S2L noticed that his mindset was beginning to shift. Shaun was thinking about getting a part-time job as opposed to the resorting to illegitimate means as those around them. Shaun was also beginning to handle his emotions in relation to the stabbing with maturity, choosing to navigate his desires for retaliation with wisdom. He also displayed great self-awareness as he spoke about how he navigates different life situations.
Shaun later enrolled into college and began studying Construction. S2L continued their mentoring with Shaun into his first term of college, to ensure that the transitions went well. Upon closing Shaun, S2L signposted them to an ETE (Education, Training and Employment) specialist that S2L work in collaboration with, so that he had support to be able to find a part-time job in his desired area of interest. This is a story that had the capacity to end tragically however Shaun is now living in a new chapter of his life that is leading to a brighter future.