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**Registered number: 07984016 Charity number: 1148420**
## **Spark Inside**
**(A company limited by guarantee)**
**Trustees' report and financial statements**
**for the year ended 31 March 2025**
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## **Spark Inside**
## **(A company limited by guarantee)**
## **Contents**
||Page|
|---|---|
|**Reference and administrative details of the Charity, its Trustees and advisers**|1|
|**Trustees' report**|2 - 14|
|**Independent auditors' report on the financial statements**|15 - 18|
|**Statement of financial activities**|19|
|**Balance sheet**|20|
|**Statement of cash flows**|21|
|**Notes to the financial statements**|22 - 40|
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## **Spark Inside**
## **(A company limited by guarantee)**
## **Reference and administrative details of the Charity, its Trustees and advisers for the year ended 31 March 2025**
|**Trustees**|R D Ferguson|
|---|---|
||M Case|
||H MacLellan, Vice Chair|
||S Davin|
||J Lyseight, Treasurer|
||E Handling, Chair|
||S Drysdale|
||F Gordon (appointed 30 January 2025)|
||L Dunne (appointed 30 January 2025)|
||J Dayal (appointed 30 January 2025)|
||H Whitehead (appointed 30 January 2025)|
|**Company registered**
**number**
07984016
**Charity registered**
**number**
1148420
**Registered office**
Unit 386
Salisbury House
London Wall
London
EC2M 5SQ
**Chief executive officer**
Vicki Cardwell
**Independent auditors**
Kreston Reeves Audit LLP
Statutory Auditor
Nile House
Nile Street
Brighton
East Sussex
BN1 1HW
**Bankers**
CAF Bank Ltd
West Malling
Kent
ME19 4JQ
**Solicitors**
Arnold & Porter LLP
Tower 42
25 Old Broad Street
London
EC2N 1HQ||
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## **Spark Inside**
## **(A company limited by guarantee)**
## **Trustees' report for the year ended 31 March 2025**
The Trustees present their annual report together with the audited financial statements of the Company for the year 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025. The annual report serves the purposes of both a Trustees' report and a Directors' report under company law. The Trustees confirm that the annual report and financial statements of the charitable company comply with the current statutory requirements, the requirements of the charitable company's governing document and the provisions of the Statement of Recommended Practice (SORP) applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS102) (effective 1 January 2019).
Since the charity qualifies as small under section 382 of the Companies Act 2006, the Strategic report required of medium and large companies under the Companies Act 2006 (Strategic Report and Directors' Report) Regulations 2013 has been omitted.
## **A Message from our Board Chair**
I am always so inspired when I hear the testimonies of the young people who have participated in our Hero’s Journey programmes - 274 young people this year – describing how the coaching they undertake leads them to recognise their innate potential and the resources they have within themselves and to transform their lives in remarkable ways on leaving prison. Not only have we reached the highest number of young people coached ever this year but, as set out in our Strategy, we have also piloted exciting innovations in the programmes we offer, including coaching women in prison for the very first time. The early outcomes of this work are already really promising: with participants gaining confidence, clarity, and the tools they need to face challenges head-on.
As we look ahead, the Board and our leadership team remain laser-focused on delivery. We are pleased to have concluded the year with a surplus which we intend to invest in expanding our reach in 2025–26. It is worth noting that while some funding was received upfront in this financial year, certain costs will be incurred next year, and so we continue to plan carefully to sustain our impact.
Our Board continues to function effectively, guided by the insight and commitment of our Trustees and Executive Team, and has been further strengthened by the addition of four excellent new trustees - a testament to our growing capacity to lead and to deliver.
One of the biggest challenges we set ourselves as an organisation in our current strategy, was to develop and test different ways of improving prison culture, finding ways to introduce a coaching approach into the prison environment and enhance the potential for rehabilitation. We recognise the challenges in shifting culture, not least with high levels of violence and overcrowding in prisons, but day by day, conversation by conversation, we are embedding coaching as a valued and powerful approach, for young people, staff, and the wider prison system. We are rigorously evaluating this work and look forward to reporting on our progress at the end of the strategic cycle.
I’d like to say a heartfelt thank you to everyone - our supporters, Trustees, staff, coaches, partners, and, most of all, the young people themselves - who demonstrate such courage and resilience. Together, we continue to unlock potential, foster hope, and drive a culture of rehabilitation that endures.
## **Erica Handling Chair, Board of Trustees**
Erica Handling 24 Nov 2025 15:17:34 GMT (UTC +0)
24 November 2025
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## **Spark Inside (A company limited by guarantee)**
## **Trustees' report (continued) for the year ended 31 March 2025**
## **A Message from our CEO**
This year has been a landmark one for Spark Inside: a year of growth, innovation, and recognition as we continue to champion the power of coaching in the criminal justice system.
We were honored with the Zurich Insurance UK DEI Award for our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion in our programming through the Black Hero's Journey™ programme. This award is a testament to the dedication of our team, coaches and the young people participating.
We’ve also made exciting strides in expanding our reach. This year marked the early stages of our work in the East Midlands - a step toward our longer-term goal of reaching more young people across the country. Our coaching programmes are now helping to unlock potential in new regions, while continuing to deliver transformational impact in London and the South East.
For the first time, we brought our unique approach to two new environments: an open prison and Oasis Restore, the UK’s first secure school. These are powerful examples of how coaching can support young people and staff in different types of custodial settings, helping to build meaningful change. Internally, we’ve continued to invest in what makes Spark Inside special — our people and our culture. This year we expanded our coaching skills training across the organisation and renewed our focus on a healthy, inclusive and values-driven culture. We know that to deliver lasting impact, we must continually learn and grow as a team.
As ever, I am regularly inspired by the talent and insight of the young people we coach. This year the spoken word performance of one of our Champions to a packed audience, where you could hear a pin drop, was a powerful moment that will stay with me.
As you’ll read in the pages ahead, our work is more vital than ever — and thanks to your ongoing support, we're able to meet this moment with hope and determination.
## **Vicki Cardwell Chief Executive Officer**
Vicki Cardwell 24 Nov 2025 14:59:22 GMT (UTC +0)
24 November 2025
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## **Spark Inside**
## **(A company limited by guarantee)**
## **Trustees' report (continued) for the year ended 31 March 2025**
## **Vision**
The futures of people affected by the criminal justice system are determined by their potential, not their past.
## **Mission**
We use coaching to unlock the potential of individuals and drive culture change in the criminal justice system so that rehabilitation is possible.
## **Objectives and activities**
Spark Inside runs coaching programmes in prisons, young offender institutions (YOIs) and the community, primarily across London and the South East. Our programmes unlock the potential of those living and working in prison, encourage rehabilitation, change prison culture, and contribute towards a reduction in reoffending. We are one of the first organisations to offer young people in prison the support of highly qualified, expert coaches and to give them access to the same calibre of coaching made available in the corporate world.
**Hero’s Journey™** is our award-winning coaching programme that empowers young people in the criminal justice system to rewrite their future. Through group workshops followed by one-to-one coaching, young people are supported to identify where they are in their life’s journey and equipped with the tools, confidence and resilience to build a bright future that excites them.
**Black Hero’s Journey™** is our award-winning, tailored coaching programme, co-designed with young Black men with lived experience, that addresses the specific experiences of young Black men in the prison system, who are over-represented.
**Prison staff coaching** supports frontline staff and leaders in the prison system to manage and improve their own wellbeing, confidence and skills and capabilities. This in turn improves the quality of support they can offer people in their care and contributes to the creation of a coaching culture in prison.
**The Conversation®** is our systems coaching programme for large groups of prison staff and prisoners, to enhance their relationships, improve empathy, and support sustained, positive cultural change on prison wings.
**Voices of young people:** In addition to our coaching programmes, a core part of our work is ensuring that the voices of young people in contact with the criminal justice system are listened to, and that they help to shape our strategy, coaching programmes and campaigns.
I **nfluencing:** We also remain committed to working with parliamentarians and government officials to influence criminal justice policy and shift the perception of people in prison, platforming their voices and highlighting their unlocked potential.
Details of our main activities and the beneficiaries of our work are described in detail below. All our charitable activities focus on the encouragement of rehabilitation and contribution towards a reduction in reoffending. The Trustees confirm that they have had due regard to Charity Commission guidance on public benefit in setting the charity’s objectives and activities.
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## **Spark Inside (A company limited by guarantee)**
**Trustees' report (continued) for the year ended 31 March 2025**
## **Achievements and performance**
**Individual change:** _**Using coaching to unlock the potential of individuals**_
## **Hero’s Journey™**
Hero’s Journey™ is our award-winning life coaching programme that empowers young people in the criminal justice system to rewrite their future. Through group workshops followed by one-to-one coaching, young people are supported to identify where they are in their life’s journey and equipped with the tools, confidence and resilience to build a bright future that excites them.
Our experienced coaches don’t tell young people what to do, but instead support them to believe change is possible, see the resources they have within them, and empower them to make different choices.
In 24/25 we were delighted to reach more young people than **ever before** , coaching **274** people in prison, through the gate and in the community.
We are proud to see the positive impact our work has on the young people we work with. Using the respected Outcomes Star tool, young people who complete the Hero’s Journey report the following progress.
Percentage of young people who reported making progress in the following areas:
- 82% made progress in Communicating
- 78% made progress in Choices and Behaviour
- 78% made progress in Interests and activities
- 76% made progress in Education and Work
- 73% made progress in Hopes and Dreams
- 64% made progress in Health and Well-being
Daniel, a young man who received one-to-one coaching from Spark Inside, had this to say about the experience:
_“You can either wish things were different or be the change you want to see. I chose the latter. After years of planning, sketching, taking notes, and learning,_ _**coaching became exactly what I needed** to help me define my short, medium, and long-term goals—understanding my current state, desired state, and the obstacles in between. I feel positive, ready, and determined to move forward. I’m chasing accomplishment.”_
This type of transformational work that supports young people like Daniel to lead purposeful, productive lives after imprisonment, has a profound impact on wider society. An independent Cost Benefit Analysis of our work found that every £1 invested in Hero’s Journey™ generates at least £5.94 of benefits for criminal justice agencies, health services, victims and employers.
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## **Spark Inside**
## **(A company limited by guarantee)**
**Trustees' report (continued) for the year ended 31 March 2025**
## **Achievements and performance (continued)**
## **Black Hero’s Journey™**
In 24/25 we ran **8** Black Hero’s Journey™ programmes, supporting **56** young Black and Mixed Heritage men across **3** prisons and through the gate, to explore their identity, heritage and culture and come away from workshops feeling empowered, uplifted and more able to carve out a bright future.
_"Understanding that it's not about changing myself or how I look, but rather understanding why these perceptions exist and what I can do to help myself."_
We published our report, here, and shaped by the voices and experiences of ‘storytellers’ - seven young Black and Mixed Heritage men who took part in the programme.
We were heartened that this report found that the programme enables participants to:
- **challenge negative stereotypes;**
- **navigate their own racial and cultural identities;**
- **celebrate being Black;**
- **develop a positive sense of self;**
- **develop a sense of ‘brotherhood’;**
- **discover greater purpose, motivation and hope for the future.**
_“I feel like I have got a calling in life, greater than what I limit myself to. Society and the system try to keep me boxed in, but I’m greater than that.”_
This year, our Black Hero’s Journey™ programme won the Zurich Insurance Diversity and Inclusion Award in recognition of its innovation and impact.
## **Coaching Young Women**
This year we began coaching young women in prison for the first time, supporting women in HMP East Sutton Park through one-to-one sessions with our brilliant coaches.
Our first two cohorts of women have been supported to build the confidence and clarity to tackle challenges like self-esteem, family relationships, and planning for release. And the results? Inspiring! One woman told our Service Delivery Manager:
_"I've got my mojo back! Since the last session, I’ve applied for loads of jobs and I’ve got two interviews next week!"_
Our team are working hard to pioneer a coaching approach tailored to the unique experiences of women in prison and we will focus on developing and growing this work in 2025/26.
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## **Spark Inside (A company limited by guarantee)**
**Trustees' report (continued) for the year ended 31 March 2025**
## **Achievements and performance (continued)**
## **Institutional change:** _**Changing prison culture so that rehabilitation is possible**_
## **Prison Staff Coaching**
This year, we coached **50** prison staff members, supporting them to manage stress, increase their skills and confidence, and build resilience in an environment that continues to be extremely challenging. This in turn improves the quality of support they can offer people in their care and contributes to the creation of a coaching culture in prison.
This year, we also partnered with the Prison Reform Trust to coach Deputy Prison Governors who were part of their Next Generation leadership development programme. One of the **20** Prison Governors we coached this year said:
_“Every session has added value to both my personal and professional development whilst enabling me to create a toolkit of skills to refer to and reflect on regularly. My leadership has improved through developing new techniques to generate a culture of accountability and self-reflection across my team.”_
## **The Conversation®**
In 24/25 we completed the first pilot of our new enhanced version of The Conversation®. The Conversation® is our systems coaching programme which brings together prison staff and residents, incorporating elements of Deep Democracy (a practical method of conflict-resolution and holding challenging conversations that was first developed during the post-apartheid era in South Africa). The programme aims to enhance relationships, improve empathy, and support sustained, positive cultural change on prison wings.
Pilot 1 took place at HMP High Down, with a group of residents and staff coming together to explore how they could improve living conditions on the wing.
One of the facilitators said:
_“I witnessed profound listening, deepening of understanding and real shifts in relationships. I have been involved in so many prisons projects over the years, but this one feels different.”_
What stood out were the commitments made to make the wing a better place to live and work, including:
1. Residents would be given the opportunity to work together with staff on what areas on the wing needed investment to help shape next year’s budget request.
2. A Custodial Manager reflected on how they could be more present and responsive.
3. Officers and residents collaborated on what activities could be offered in the social spaces under the new regime.
4. Residents were able to express their appreciation for the work the staff do.
The Conversation® is core to Spark Inside’s aim to improve prison culture, so that rehabilitation is possible. We continue to test, refine and evaluate this programme; and look forward to starting our second pilot in 25/26 at HMP Wormwood Scrubs.
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## **Spark Inside**
## **(A company limited by guarantee)**
**Trustees' report (continued) for the year ended 31 March 2025**
## **Achievements and performance (continued)**
## **Coaching skills for gym staff**
We began an exciting pilot in HMP Brixton, delivering coaching skills training for prison gym staff. Gym staff are highly influential members of the prison workforce, who often enjoy positive relationships with young people in custody, connecting with them in a different way to other staff and often having more time with young people who regularly access the gym. For this reason, we wanted to equip this valuable team with coaching skills that enable them to have powerful, transformational interactions with young people beyond the physical coaching they provide.
This opportunity includes supporting staff to find coaching moments in their role at work; attune to listening for feelings and values; and how to ask excellent quality questions, all of which can better support an individual’s rehabilitation and promote a coaching culture in prisons.
The feedback we have received demonstrates the difference coaching skills can make to interactions between staff and people living in prison:
## _“I’ve learnt that helping someone to think is more powerful than telling them what to do.”_
This highlights a core distinction between coaching and mentoring that is reflected across all our programmes. That is, providing people with individual agency and a recognition of the resources and skills they already have within themselves to make changes and achieve their goals can lead to sustained personal change.
We look forward to building on this work next year, furthering our mission to drive culture change in prisons so that rehabilitation is possible.
Systemic change: _Driving culture change in the criminal justice system so that rehabilitation is possible_
A key part of our mission is to drive culture change in the criminal justice system, so that rehabilitation is possible. Drawing on our direct knowledge and expertise from our coaching work in prisons, we seek to champion equity and opportunity. We do this through our advocacy, policy and campaigning work.
## **Being Well, Being Equal**
Building on the momentum of our ongoing Being Well, Being Equal campaign, in March 2025 we held our second roundtable, bringing together policymakers and practitioners in the justice and health sectors, alongside Spark Inside Champions—young men with lived experience of the justice system who help shape our work. Guests and the Champions collaborated to tackle the question: **How do we promote the Mental Wealth of young Black men in prison?**
The term ‘Mental Wealth’, created by one of the Spark Inside Champions, is a reframing of mental health; which often carries stigma, particularly for young Black men in custody. His challenge was to view Mental Wealth as a wellbeing revolution, and as something you build, invest in and improve as you would physical health.
Central to the event was hearing from the Champions about their experiences, ideas for change, and the impact of coaching on their lives. They spoke openly about stigma, the struggles of accessing support, and being vulnerable in a prison environment.
_“As young black people in prison, it’s like mental health is so stigmatized within our cultures. It’s not something that’s acknowledged at all. So in prison now, everybody has got this mask on. And in terms of even being able to have that conversation with the next man, it’s like, how do I know you’re able to have that conversation? How do I break down this wall, especially if this wall is going to make me vulnerable?”_
The roundtable set the stage for bigger conversations about how young Black men in custody can get the mental health support they deserve and made it clear that real change must come from those with lived experience leading the way. We look forward to turning these insights into action and working with the Champions and other stakeholders to co-produce practical guidance and tools for prisons.
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## **Spark Inside**
## **(A company limited by guarantee)**
## **Trustees' report (continued) for the year ended 31 March 2025**
## **Champions**
Our Champions group consists of 8 young people who have had coaching with Spark Inside. They meet regularly and discuss topics relating to our work, inputting their views and ideas and shaping the way we do things.
In the past year our Champions have made significant contributions to Spark Inside, including speaking at our policy, influencing and fundraising events, supporting us in staff recruitment, and contributing to our Black Hero’s Journey™ report. One champion, Jonno, wrote, scored and recorded a powerful spoken word piece with original soundtrack, set to a co-produced animation which you can view here. We were hugely grateful to Jonno for performing the piece at the Paul Hamlyn Foundation showcase event, marking the end of our 5-year partnership with the funder.
We continue to offer development opportunities for this excellent team, including funding training and qualifications, and look forward to supporting them in their growth, as they support us in ours, in 25/26.
## **In-Prison Advisory Boards**
Our In Prison Advisory Boards (IPABs) continue to be a key mechanism for gathering insights from young people in prison. This year we continued working in HMP Brixton, and through a series of focus groups, one-to-one interviews and peer research, gained valuable insights into what support young people felt Spark Inside should offer through the gate, helping inform our HMPPS Innovation Grant funded Black Hero’s Journey™ programme.
## **Changing narratives**
We have continued to use our communications to make the case for coaching as a valuable tool in the criminal justice system. We use our external communications, our website, social media and traditional media to spread the word about the power of coaching and to champion young people as a group who face specific challenges and have distinct needs, but who also possess unique strengths and have the greatest potential for positive change.
This year, over **18,000** people followed us on social media and used our website, a **56% increase** on 23/24. We were delighted to be featured in The Voice newspaper, we contributed to The Fabian Society Review and were regularly covered in the key justice sector news outlets. Next year, we will continue to champion coaching in the justice system and redouble our efforts to change narratives, shifting the focus to young people’s potential, not their past.
## **A word on our coaches**
We only hire coaches who have qualifications recognised by an accredited organisation, such as the International Coaching Federation, the European Mentoring and Coaching Council, or the Association for Coaching, and who have logged a minimum of 100 hours of coaching.
Combined, our fantastic team has more than 10,000 hours of practice, with previous experience working in private and corporate sectors, as well as trauma recovery, alcohol and drugs recovery, mental health, and youth work. Many balance their coaching for us with a portfolio of blue-chip, global companies.
Our coaches attend regular professional supervision meetings with our coach supervisors, training sessions and events, and continuously reflect on their practice and development. As our coaches deliver in a prison environment, we require all coaches to be fully vetted, key trained, have enhanced DBS certificates that are less than a year old, to maintain knowledge and understanding of security, safeguarding health and safety and risk management practice and procedures, and to take part in any additional training required by the prison or by Spark Inside.
We believe that all young people we work with have enormous potential, that they deserve to be valued and that they deserve investment. That is why we commit to upholding the highest standards when it comes to our coaches, our practice and delivery.
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## **Spark Inside**
## **(A company limited by guarantee)**
**Trustees' report (continued) for the year ended 31 March 2025**
## **Financial review**
## **a. Financial review**
The statement of financial activities is presented on page 19. The charity reported a surplus of £262,909 for the year (2024: £80,740), with net assets totalling £1,199,005 at year-end (2024: £936,096).
This has been a year of significant growth, primarily driven by the generosity of trusts, foundations, and corporate donors. Our grant applications were well received, enabling us to expand our core delivery and broaden the scope of our work. Notably, we invested in the development of a new programme, The Conversation®, delivered coaching skills training to gym staff, and extended our reach to young women in prison. We grew our commissioned services and began working in the UK’s first secure school. We also benefited from generous individual giving, primarily through our annual Big Give campaign.
Our core service remains the Hero’s Journey™ coaching programme, which continues to be in high demand and highly regarded. This year, we delivered the programme in four additional prisons, increasing our reach to a total of ten. Our focus remains on expanding to reach more young people. Alongside Hero’s Journey™, we also delivered community-based coaching sessions and coaching programmes for prison staff. We continue to advocate for systemic change and promote a coaching-led culture within the criminal justice sector.
To support service delivery, we grew our frontline prison-based team and invested in both impact evaluation and new programme development. We also prioritised quality by investing in coach training. With prudent financial management, we were able to keep other overheads broadly consistent with the prior year.
The exceptional success rate of our grant applications resulted in income exceeding expectations. These additional funds will be reinvested in our 2025/26 plans, including our expansion beyond London.
## **b. Principal funding sources**
Spark Inside is primarily funded through grants, and we are pleased to report a significant increase in grant funding this year despite challenging conditions in the wider funding environment. In a difficult and highly competitive market the generous support received will enable us to accelerate our expansion plans in a sector where our work is critically needed.
We welcomed several new funders this year and continue to benefit from the support of longstanding partners, many of whom provide multi-year funding. This gives us the stability to plan confidently for the future.
Details of restricted grants can be found in Note 5 to the financial statements. We are extremely grateful to the funders who support our specific projects and programmes — their contributions are vital. We are equally thankful to those who provide unrestricted grants and donations, supporting the organisation as a whole. This flexible funding enhances our ability to operate sustainably and deliver on our mission.
## **c. Reserves**
The charity’s policy is to hold unrestricted general reserves equivalent to four to eight months of operating expenditure (based on the following year’s budget), with the aim of maintaining financial resilience. This policy reflects the long-term nature of our coaching programmes, which typically span six to nine months.
Restricted reserves are held for the specific purposes for which the funds were granted. It is common for grant income to be received in one year while the related expenditure spans several years. Restricted reserves therefore represent funds for ongoing or upcoming programmes. In the event of a surplus at the conclusion of a programme, we will consult the donor to determine whether the funds should be returned or reallocated.
At year-end, unrestricted funds stood at £864,154 (2024: £670,352), representing approximately 7 months of budgeted operating expenditure. Restricted funds totalled £334,851 (2024: £265,744).
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## **Spark Inside**
## **(A company limited by guarantee)**
**Trustees' report (continued) for the year ended 31 March 2025**
## **d. Going concern**
The Trustees have assessed the charity’s financial position and have a reasonable expectation that Spark Inside has sufficient resources to continue its activities for the foreseeable future. Accordingly, the financial statements have been prepared on a going concern basis. Further details are provided in the accounting policies section.
## **Structure, governance and management**
## **a. Constitution**
Spark Inside is registered as a charitable company limited by guarantee and was set up by a Memorandum of Association on 24/02/2012.
The company is constituted under a Memorandum of Association dated 24/02/2012 and is a registered charity number 1148420.
## **b. Methods of appointment or election of Trustees**
Board members are appointed by majority vote for three-year terms. Trustees may serve on the Board for two consecutive terms or following discussion and approval by the Board for an additional term of up to three years. A trustee may serve additional terms beyond nine years but only in exceptional circumstances, following discussion and approval by the Board and subject to disclosure of the rationale for the extension of term in the charity’s annual report.
## **c. Organisational structure and decision-making policies**
In March 2025 Spark Inside had eleven Trustees. During the year, there were two Board committees operating: the Finance and Risk Committee and the Coaching Committee. The Coaching Committee supports Spark Inside with recommendations and advice on coaching quality and approach. The work of our Philanthropy Committee is now being undertaken by all our Trustees. New and existing Trustees are encouraged to actively contribute to our fundraising efforts with a particular focus this year on engaging corporates. We are pleased with the results thus far.
Additionally, we are proud to have Kenny Imafidon and Sophie Ruddock as Spark Inside ambassadors who share our values, passion and help to promote our work coaching young people in the justice system.
Spark Inside has a delegation of authority policy in place which outlines how the charity makes decisions. The policy covers decision making in all areas of the charity, clarifying which decisions are reserved to the Board and the CEO, and which decisions, if any, are delegated further. In addition, the charity has a Finance Policy which sets out limits and conditions to the Chief Executive and senior staff being authorised to commit the charity to incur expenditure within the approved annual budget plan.
Spark Inside’s Trustees have a fiduciary responsibility for Spark Inside and provide strategic oversight and direction. Trustees are volunteers and receive no remuneration or financial benefits. They convene every three months for Board meetings and annually for a strategy away day. Trustees are recruited through a range of methods including online advertising on trustee recruitment websites. All trustee roles are advertised, and subject to a competitive process.
The Chair receives an annual appraisal, conducted by the Vice-Chair with the opportunity for all Trustees and the CEO to input. The Board reflects regularly on its performance, specifically at the annual away day.
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## **Spark Inside (A company limited by guarantee)**
**Trustees' report (continued) for the year ended 31 March 2025**
## **Structure, governance and management (continued)**
## **d. Policies adopted for the induction and training of Trustees**
Trustees are introduced to the work of the charity through meetings with the Chair, the CEO and staff and by taking part in a taster session of the Hero’s Journey to understand how our programme works. New Trustees have an induction day run by the Senior Management Team. New Trustees are also offered governance training and they are offered the opportunity to visit a prison. An induction pack containing the Memorandum and Articles of Association, strategy, vision, mission, budgets and other relevant information, including minutes of recent Trustees’ meetings and all policies which are subject to trustee review and approval is provided. All new Trustees are offered a ‘buddy’ on the Board to support them during induction.
To maintain a broad and appropriate skills mix, a review is regularly undertaken to ensure that should a member resign, an appropriate replacement is found. The Board also reviews its diversity, with particular regard to lived experience similar to that of our participants. We encourage trustee applicants with lived experience of prison or the criminal justice system. We also actively encourage applications from people from black or racially minoritised backgrounds and groups, and those who are typically under-represented on boards.
This year, following a skills gap analysis, we successfully recruited four new Trustees to our Board. New Trustees were recruited to bring specific skills in finance, prisons and trauma-informed practice. This is both to supporting our strategy and with consideration for succession planning on the Board. We continue to diversify our Board in terms of demographics and experience and actively seek out and promote diversity of thought.
Every two years, we conduct a Board effectiveness review to ensure strong governance, processes and positive and equitable Board dynamics. All Trustees and the leadership team participate in this review.
## **e. Pay policy for key management personnel**
An annual Remuneration Committee is held to review staff pay and proposed increases. The Remuneration Committee is made up of the Trustees who sit on the Finance and Risk Committee, plus the Chair and the lead Trustee for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion. The CEO submits a proposal to the Remuneration Committee with recommendations for salary increases in line with salary bandings.
## **f. Risk management**
Trustees have implemented a risk management strategy that comprises:
- A quarterly review by the Finance and Risk Committee of the risks that the charity may face
- A quarterly review by the full Board of the risks that the charity may face
- A monthly review by the Senior Management Team
- The establishment of systems and procedures, designed to minimise any potential impact on the charity should any of those risks materialise.
This year, we invested in securing Cyber Essentials Plus credentials, to strengthen our management of this ongoing sector-wide risk. We successfully passed the Cyber Essentials Plus audit and continue to regularly train our team in cyber security.
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## **Spark Inside**
## **(A company limited by guarantee)**
## **Trustees' report (continued) for the year ended 31 March 2025**
## **Plans for future periods**
## **Strategic Aims**
In our Strategic plan for 2024-2027 we have set out our three-year ambitions to:
1. Coach many more young people in prison and through the gate
2. Champion a coaching culture in prisons
3. Continue to be effective and to evidence this impact
4. Be a skilled, diverse, and sustainable organisation with our own coaching culture
We are pleased with our progress in this first year and set out our specific priorities for next year.
## **Priorities for 2025-26**
- Deliver 40 Hero’s Journey™ and Black Hero’s Journey™ programmes across at least 10 prisons.
- Continue to establish ourselves in the East Midlands and South Yorkshire, moving from one prison to at least two in this region.
- In total, we want to reach over 335 young people with coaching this year.
- Complete the second pilot of The Conversation® at HMP Wormwood Scrubs. Evaluate this programme and make plans for future work on wing-based culture change.
- Coach at least 30 prison staff.
- Run three In-Prison Advisory Boards of young people and continue our Champions group of now 8 young people, so we can amplify the voices of young people.
- Further promote the findings of Being Well, Being Equal report and work alongside HMPPS so our findings can be embedded into practice.
- Publish external evaluations of Black Hero’s Journey and of coaching skills training.
- Maintain funder relationships and continue to reach new funders.
- Invest in corporate income generation and seek to build this in a sustainable way.
## **Thank you to our supporters and funders!**
We are hugely grateful for the support of our funders and supporters. The flexibility and commitment of our grant funders has enabled us to increase the number of young people we have coached this year and to ensure we are providing support where we are most needed. Thank you to all of the grant-giving trusts and foundations – you can see a list in the financial section.
We are equally thankful to our other supporters, friends, corporates and philanthropists, including the individuals who donated through our Big Give match-funding campaign at Christmas, which raised £83,090 to empower young people to thrive after prison.
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## **Spark Inside**
## **(A company limited by guarantee)**
## **Trustees' report (continued) for the year ended 31 March 2025**
## **Statement of Trustees' responsibilities**
The Trustees (who are also the directors of the Charity for the purposes of company law) are responsible for preparing the Trustees' report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).
Company law requires the Trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year. Under company law, the Trustees must not approve the financial statements unless they are satisfied that they give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the Charity and of its incoming resources and application of resources, including its income and expenditure, for that period. In preparing these financial statements, the Trustees are required to:
- select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;
- observe the methods and principles of the Charities SORP (FRS 102);
- make judgements and accounting estimates that are reasonable and prudent;
- state whether applicable UK Accounting Standards (FRS 102) have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements;
- prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the Charity will continue in business.
The Trustees are responsible for keeping adequate accounting records that are sufficient to show and explain the Charity's transactions and disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the Charity and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the Charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.
## **Disclosure of information to auditors**
Each of the persons who are Trustees at the time when this Trustees' report is approved has confirmed that:
- so far as that Trustee is aware, there is no relevant audit information of which the charity's auditors are unaware, and
- that Trustee has taken all the steps that ought to have been taken as a Trustee in order to be aware of any relevant audit information and to establish that the charity's auditors are aware of that information.
## **Auditors**
The auditors, Kreston Reeves Audit LLP, have indicated their willingness to continue in office. The designated Trustees will propose a motion reappointing the auditors at a meeting of the Trustees.
The audit registration of Kreston Reeves LLP was transferred to Kreston Reeves Audit LLP on 6th October 2025. Kreston Reeves Audit LLP were formally appointed as auditor to the charity on 6th October 2025.
Approved by order of the members of the board of Trustees and signed on their behalf by:
Erica Handling 24 Nov 2025 15:17:34 GMT (UTC +0)
................................................
**E Handling** Chair of Trustees Date: 24 November 2025
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## **Spark Inside**
## **(A company limited by guarantee)**
## **Independent auditors' report to the Members of Spark Inside**
## **Opinion**
We have audited the financial statements of Spark Inside (the 'charity') for the year ended 31 March 2025 which comprise the Statement of financial activities, the Balance sheet, the Statement of cash flows and the related notes, including a summary of significant accounting policies. The financial reporting framework that has been applied in their preparation is applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards, including Financial Reporting Standard 102 'The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland' (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).
In our opinion the financial statements:
- give a true and fair view of the state of the charitable company's affairs as at 31 March 2025 and of its incoming resources and application of resources, including its income and expenditure for the year then ended;
- have been properly prepared in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice; and
- have been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006.
## **Basis for opinion**
We conducted our audit in accordance with International Standards on Auditing (UK) (ISAs (UK)) and applicable law. Our responsibilities under those standards are further described in the Auditors' responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements section of our report. We are independent of the charitable company in accordance with the ethical requirements that are relevant to our audit of the financial statements in the United Kingdom, including the Financial Reporting Council's Ethical Standard, and we have fulfilled our other ethical responsibilities in accordance with these requirements. We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion.
## **Conclusions relating to going concern**
In auditing the financial statements, we have concluded that the Trustees' use of the going concern basis of accounting in the preparation of the financial statements is appropriate.
Based on the work we have performed, we have not identified any material uncertainties relating to events or conditions that, individually or collectively, may cast significant doubt on the charitable company's ability to continue as a going concern for a period of at least twelve months from when the financial statements are authorised for issue.
Our responsibilities and the responsibilities of the Trustees with respect to going concern are described in the relevant sections of this report.
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## **Spark Inside (A company limited by guarantee)**
## **Independent auditors' report to the Members of Spark Inside (continued)**
## **Other information**
The other information comprises the information included in the Annual report other than the financial statements and our Auditors' report thereon. The Trustees are responsible for the other information contained within the Annual report. Our opinion on the financial statements does not cover the other information and, except to the extent otherwise explicitly stated in our report, we do not express any form of assurance conclusion thereon. Our responsibility is to read the other information and, in doing so, consider whether the other information is materially inconsistent with the financial statements or our knowledge obtained in the course of the audit, or otherwise appears to be materially misstated. If we identify such material inconsistencies or apparent material misstatements, we are required to determine whether this gives rise to a material misstatement in the financial statements themselves. If, based on the work we have performed, we conclude that there is a material misstatement of this other information, we are required to report that fact.
We have nothing to report in this regard.
## **Opinion on other matters prescribed by the Companies Act 2006**
In our opinion, based on the work undertaken in the course of the audit:
- the information given in the Trustees' report for the financial year for which the financial statements are prepared is consistent with the financial statements.
- the Trustees' report has been prepared in accordance with applicable legal requirements.
## **Matters on which we are required to report by exception**
In the light of our knowledge and understanding of the charitable company and its environment obtained in the course of the audit, we have not identified material misstatements in the Trustees' report.
We have nothing to report in respect of the following matters in relation to which Companies Act 2006 requires us to report to you if, in our opinion:
- adequate accounting records have not been kept, or returns adequate for our audit have not been received from branches not visited by us; or
- the financial statements are not in agreement with the accounting records and returns; or
- certain disclosures of Trustees' remuneration specified by law are not made; or
- we have not received all the information and explanations we require for our audit; or
- the Trustees were not entitled to prepare the financial statements in accordance with the small companies regime and take advantage of the small companies' exemptions in preparing the Trustees' report and from the requirement to prepare a Strategic report.
## **Responsibilities of trustees**
As explained more fully in the Trustees' responsibilities statement, the Trustees (who are also the directors of the charitable company for the purposes of company law) are responsible for the preparation of the financial statements and for being satisfied that they give a true and fair view, and for such internal control as the Trustees determine is necessary to enable the preparation of financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error.
In preparing the financial statements, the Trustees are responsible for assessing the charitable company's ability to continue as a going concern, disclosing, as applicable, matters related to going concern and using the going concern basis of accounting unless the Trustees either intend to liquidate the charitable company or to cease operations, or have no realistic alternative but to do so.
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## **Spark Inside (A company limited by guarantee)**
## **Independent auditors' report to the Members of Spark Inside (continued)**
## **Auditors' responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements**
Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements as a whole are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error, and to issue an Auditors' report that includes our opinion. Reasonable assurance is a high level of assurance, but is not a guarantee that an audit conducted in accordance with ISAs (UK) will always detect a material misstatement when it exists. Misstatements can arise from fraud or error and are considered material if, individually or in the aggregate, they could reasonably be expected to influence the economic decisions of users taken on the basis of these financial statements.
Irregularities, including fraud, are instances of non-compliance with laws and regulations. We design procedures in line with our responsibilities, outlined above, to detect material misstatements in respect of irregularities, including fraud. The extent to which our procedures are capable of detecting irregularities, including fraud is detailed below:
## _Capability of the audit in detecting irregularities, including fraud_
Based on our understanding of the charity, the sector as a whole, and through discussion with the Trustees and other management (as required by auditing standards), we identified that the principal risks of non-compliance with laws and regulations related to health and safety, anti-bribery and employment law. We considered the extent to which non-compliance might have a material effect on the financial statements. We also considered those laws and regulations that have a direct impact on the preparation of the financial statements such as the Charities SORP (FRS 102) Second Edition (released October 2019), the Companies Act 2006 and other relevant charity legislation. We communicated identified laws and regulations throughout our team and remained alert to any indications of non-compliance throughout the audit. We evaluated Trustees' and management’s incentives and opportunities for fraudulent manipulation of the financial statements (including the risk of override of controls) and determined that the principal risks related to posting inappropriate journal entries. Audit procedures performed by the engagement team included:
- Discussions with management and assessment of known or suspected instances of non-compliance with laws and regulations and fraud, and review of the reports made by management; and
- Assessment of identified fraud risk factors; and
- Challenging assumptions and judgements made by management in its significant accounting estimates; and
- Confirmation of related parties with management, and review of transactions throughout the period to identify any previously undisclosed transactions with related parties outside the normal course of business; and
- Performing analytical procedures with automated data analytics tools to identify any unusual or unexpected relationships, including related party transactions, that may indicate risks of material misstatement due to fraud; and
- Reading minutes of meetings of those charged with governance; and
- Identifying and testing journal entries, in particular any manual entries made at the year end for financial statement preparation.
Because of the inherent limitations of an audit, there is a risk that we will not detect all irregularities, including those leading to a material misstatement in the financial statements or non-compliance with regulation. This risk increases the more that compliance with a law or regulation is removed from the events and transactions reflected in the financial statements, as we will be less likely to become aware of instances of non-compliance
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## **Spark Inside (A company limited by guarantee)**
## **Independent auditors' report to the Members of Spark Inside (continued)**
As part of an audit in accordance with ISAs (UK), we exercise professional judgement and maintain professional scepticism throughout the audit. We also:
- Identify and assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to fraud or error, design and perform audit procedures responsive to those risks, and obtain audit evidence that is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion. The risk of not detecting a material misstatement resulting from fraud is higher than for one resulting from error, as fraud may involve collusion, forgery, intentional omissions, misrepresentations, or the override of internal control.
- Obtain an understanding of internal control relevant to the audit in order to design audit procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion of the effectiveness of the charitable company's internal control.
- Evaluate the appropriateness of accounting policies used and the reasonableness of accounting estimates and related disclosures made by the Trustees.
- Conclude on the appropriateness of the Trustees' use of the going concern basis of accounting and, based on the audit evidence obtained, whether a material uncertainty exists related to events or conditions that may cast significant doubt on the charitable company's ability to continue as a going concern. If we conclude that a material uncertainty exists, we are required to draw attention in our Auditors' report to the related disclosures in the financial statements or, if such disclosures are inadequate, to modify our opinion. Our conclusions are based on the audit evidence obtained up to the date of our Auditors' report. However, future events or conditions may cause the charitable company to cease to continue as a going concern.
- Evaluate the overall presentation, structure and content of the financial statements, including the disclosures, and whether the financial statements represent the underlying transactions and events in a manner that achieves fair presentation.
We communicate with those charged with governance regarding, among other matters, the planned scope and timing of the audit and significant audit findings, including any significant deficiencies in internal control that we identify during our audit.
## **Use of our report**
This report is made solely to the charitable company's members, as a body, in accordance with Chapter 3 of Part 16 of the Companies Act 2006. Our audit work has been undertaken so that we might state to the charitable company's members those matters we are required to state to them in an Auditors' report and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the charitable company and its members, as a body, for our audit work, for this report, or for the opinions we have formed.
Lucy Hammond 25 Nov 2025 20:24:49 GMT (UTC +0)
## **Kreston Reeves Audit LLP**
Statutory Auditor Brighton
Date: 25 November 2025
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## **Spark Inside**
## **(A company limited by guarantee)**
## **Statement of financial activities (incorporating income and expenditure account) for the year ended 31 March 2025**
|**Note**
**Income from:**
Donations and legacies
4
Charitable activities
6
Investments
7
Other income
8
**Total income**
**Expenditure on:**
Raising funds
9
Charitable activities
10
**Total expenditure**
**Net income**
Transfers between funds
18
**Net movement in funds**
**Reconciliation of funds:**
Total funds brought forward
Net movement in funds
**Total funds carried forward**|**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**2025**
**£**
**486,710**
**301,366**
**31,214**
**-**
**819,290**
**43,089**
**568,621**
**611,710**
**207,580**
**(13,778)**
**193,802**
**670,352**
**193,802**
**864,154**|**Restricted**
**funds**
**2025**
**£**
**637,561**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**637,561**
**-**
**582,232**
**582,232**
**55,329**
**13,778**
**69,107**
**265,744**
**69,107**
**334,851**|**Total**
**funds**
**2025**
**£**
**1,124,271**
**301,366**
**31,214**
**-**
**1,456,851**
**43,089**
**1,150,853**
**1,193,942**
**262,909**
**-**
**262,909**
**936,096**
**262,909**
**1,199,005**|Total
funds
2024
£
817,903
247,792
19,431
2,032|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|||||1,087,158|
|||||42,017
964,401|
|||||1,006,418|
|||||80,740
-|
|||||80,740|
|||||855,356
80,740|
|||||936,096|
The Statement of financial activities includes all gains and losses recognised in the year.
The notes on pages 22 to 40 form part of these financial statements.
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## **Spark Inside (A company limited by guarantee) Registered number: 07984016**
## **Balance sheet as at 31 March 2025**
|**Note**
**Fixed assets**
Tangible assets
15
**Current assets**
Debtors
16
Cash at bank
Creditors: amounts falling due within one
year
17
**Net current assets**
**Total net assets**
**Charity funds**
Restricted funds
18
Unrestricted funds
18
**Total funds**|**91,211**
**1,226,628**
**1,317,839**
**(124,075)**|**2025**
**£**
**5,241**
**1,193,764**
**1,199,005**
**334,851**
**864,154**
**1,199,005**|98,963
929,859
1,028,822
(93,204)|2024
£
478
935,618|
|---|---|---|---|---|
||||||
|||||936,096|
|||||265,744
670,352|
||||||
|||||936,096|
The Trustees acknowledge their responsibilities for complying with the requirements of the Act with respect to accounting records and preparation of financial statements.
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the provisions applicable to entities subject to the small companies regime.
The financial statements were approved and authorised for issue by the Trustees and signed on their behalf by:
Erica Handling 24 Nov 2025 15:17:34 GMT (UTC +0)
................................................
**E Handling** Chair of Trustees Date: 24 November 2025
The notes on pages 22 to 40 form part of these financial statements.
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## **Spark Inside (A company limited by guarantee)**
|**Statement of cash flows**
**for the year ended 31 March 2025**
**Cash flows from operating activities**
Net cash used in operating activities (note 20)
**Cash flows from investing activities**
Dividends, interests and rents from investments
Purchase of tangible fixed assets
**Net cash provided by investing activities**
**Change in cash and cash equivalents in the year**
Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of the year
**Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the year (note 21)**
The notes on pages 22 to 40 form part of these financial statements|**2025**
**£**
**272,891**
**31,136**
**(7,258)**
**23,878**
**296,769**
**929,859**
**1,226,628**|2024
£
3,048|
|---|---|---|
|||19,431
-|
|||**19,431**|
|||**22,479**
907,380|
||||
|||929,859|
||||
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## **Spark Inside (A company limited by guarantee)**
**Notes to the financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2025**
## **1. General information**
The charity is a private company limited by guarantee incorporated in England and Wales. The members of the company are the Trustees named on page 1. In the event of the charity being wound up, the liability in respect of the guarantee is limited to £10 per member of the charity.
The registered office and principal place of business of the charity is:
Unit 386 Salisbury House London Wall London EC2M 5SQ
## **2. Accounting policies**
## **2.1 Basis of preparation of financial statements**
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the Charities SORP (FRS 102) - Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (effective 1 January 2019), the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) and the Companies Act 2006.
Spark Inside meets the definition of a public benefit entity under FRS 102. Assets and liabilities are initially recognised at historical cost or transaction value unless otherwise stated in the relevant accounting policy.
The financial statements are presented in UK sterling, the charity's functional currency, and rounded to the nearest pound.
## **2.2 Going concern**
At the time of approving the financial statements, the trustees have a reasonable expectation that the charity has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future. Thus the trustees continue to adopt the going concern basis of accounting in preparing the financial statements.
## **2.3 Income**
All income is recognised once the Charity has entitlement to the income, it is probable that the income will be received and the amount of income receivable can be measured reliably.
Income tax recoverable in relation to donations received under Gift Aid or deeds of covenant is recognised at the time of the donation.
## **2.4 Expenditure**
Expenditure is recognised once there is a legal or constructive obligation to transfer economic benefit to a third party, it is probable that a transfer of economic benefits will be required in settlement and the amount of the obligation can be measured reliably.
Support costs are those costs incurred directly in support of expenditure on the objects of the company and include project management carried out at Headquarters. Governance costs are those incurred in connection with administration of the company and compliance with constitutional and statutory requirements.
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## **Spark Inside (A company limited by guarantee)**
**Notes to the financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2025**
## **2. Accounting policies (continued)**
## **2.4 Expenditure (continued)**
Costs of generating funds are costs incurred in attracting voluntary income, and those incurred in trading activities that raise funds.
Charitable activities and Governance costs are costs incurred on the charity's operations, including support costs and costs relating to the governance of the charity apportioned to charitable activities.
All expenditure is inclusive of irrecoverable VAT.
## **2.5 Interest receivable**
Interest on funds held on deposit is included when receivable and the amount can be measured reliably by the Charity; this is normally upon notification of the interest paid or payable by the Bank.
## **2.6 Tangible fixed assets and depreciation**
Tangible fixed assets costing £2,000 or more are capitalised.
Tangible fixed assets are carried at cost, net of depreciation and any provision for impairment. Depreciation is provided at rates calculated to write off the cost of fixed assets, less their estimated residual value, over their expected useful lives.
A review for impairment of a fixed asset is carried out if events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value of any fixed asset may not be recoverable. Shortfalls between the carrying value of fixed assets and their recoverable amounts are recognised as impairments. Impairment losses are recognised in the Statement of financial activities incorporating income and expenditure account.
Depreciation is charged so as to allocate the cost of tangible fixed assets less their residual value over their estimated useful lives.
Depreciation is provided on the following basis:
- Computer equipment 3 years straight line
## **2.7 Debtors**
Trade and other debtors are recognised at the settlement amount. Prepayments are valued at the amount prepaid.
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## **Spark Inside (A company limited by guarantee)**
**Notes to the financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2025**
## **2. Accounting policies (continued)**
## **2.8 Cash at bank**
Cash at bank includes cash and short-term highly liquid investments with a short maturity of three months or less from the date of acquisition or opening of the deposit or similar account.
## **2.9 Liabilities and provisions**
Liabilities are recognised when there is an obligation at the Balance sheet date as a result of a past event, it is probable that a transfer of economic benefit will be required in settlement, and the amount of the settlement can be estimated reliably.
Liabilities are recognised at the amount that the Charity anticipates it will pay to settle the debt or the amount it has received as advanced payments for the goods or services it must provide.
Provisions are measured at the best estimate of the amounts required to settle the obligation.
## **2.10 Financial instruments**
The Charity only has financial assets and financial liabilities of a kind that qualify as basic financial instruments. Basic financial instruments are initially recognised at transaction value and subsequently measured at their settlement value with the exception of bank loans which are subsequently measured at amortised cost using the effective interest method.
## **2.11 Operating leases**
Rentals paid under operating leases are charged to the Statement of financial activities incorporating income and expenditure account on a straight line basis over the lease term.
## **2.12 Pensions**
The Charity operates a defined contribution pension scheme and the pension charge represents the amounts payable by the Charity to the fund in respect of the year.
## **2.13 Fund accounting**
General funds are unrestricted funds which are available for use at the discretion of the Trustees in furtherance of the general objectives of the Charity and which have not been designated for other purposes.
Restricted funds are funds which are to be used in accordance with specific restrictions imposed by donors or which have been raised by the Charity for particular purposes. The costs of raising and administering such funds are charged against the specific fund. The aim and use of each restricted fund is set out in the notes to the financial statements.
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## **Spark Inside (A company limited by guarantee)**
## **Notes to the financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2025**
## **3. Critical accounting estimates and areas of judgement**
Estimates and judgements are continually evaluated and are based on historical experience and other factors, including expectations of future events that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances.
Critical accounting estimates and assumptions:
The Charity makes estimates and assumptions concerning the future. The resulting accounting estimates and assumptions will, by definition, seldom equal the related actual results. There are no estimates and assumptions that have a significant risk of causing a material adjustment to the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities within the next financial year.
## **4. Income from donations and legacies**
|**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**2025**
**£**
Donations
209,710
Grants
277,000
**Total 2025**
486,710
Total 2024
354,790|**Restricted**
**funds**
**2025**
**£**
-
637,561
637,561
463,113|**Total**
**funds**
**2025**
**£**
**209,710**
**914,561**
**1,124,271**
817,903|Total
funds
2024
£
142,790
675,113|
|---|---|---|---|
||||817,903|
|||||
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## **Spark Inside (A company limited by guarantee)**
## **Notes to the financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2025**
## **5. List of grants (listed in order of donation date)**
|**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**2025**
**£**
The National Lottery Community Fund
-
AB Charitable Trust
22,000
29th May 1961 Charitable Trust
5,000
The City Bridge Trust
-
Colyer Fergusson Charitable Trust
-
The Portal Trust
-
The Innholders' Charitable Foundation
-
The Triangle Trust 1949 Fund
-
The Henry Smith Charity
-
Ministry of Justice (HMPPS Innovation Fund)
-
Barrow Cadbury Trust
-
St James' Place Charitable Foundation
-
Highway One Trust
15,000
Paul Hamlyn Foundation
-
Esmée Fairbairn
60,000
Charles Hayward Foundation
-
Swire Charitable Trust
20,000
PHF Expert Support
-
Sir Halley Stewart
-
The Clothworkers' Foundation
-
The Listening Fund
-
London Youth
-
Confidential Funder
-
The 4814 Trust
-
GLA Youth
-
Anonymous Funders
155,000
**Total 2025**
277,000
Total 2024
312,000|**Restricted**
**funds**
**2025**
**£**
20,000
-
-
50,000
36,000
25,000
9,547
13,225
50,000
108,980
60,000
30,000
-
1,586
-
-
-
-
30,000
6,800
-
-
-
-
-
196,423
637,561
463,113|**Total**
**funds**
**2025**
**£**
**20,000**
**22,000**
**5,000**
**50,000**
**36,000**
**25,000**
**9,547**
**13,225**
**50,000**
**108,980**
**60,000**
**30,000**
**15,000**
**1,586**
**60,000**
**-**
**20,000**
**-**
**30,000**
**6,800**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**351,423**
**914,561**
775,113|Total
funds
2024
£
-
22,000
5,000
-
-
25,000
2,000
13,225
50,000
54,490
1,000
30,000
-
110,000
65,940
25,000
-
30,000
30,000
-
25,000
3,000
40,000
10,000
3,293
230,165|
|---|---|---|---|
||||775,113|
|||||
Page 26
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## **Spark Inside (A company limited by guarantee)**
## **Notes to the financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2025**
## **6. Income from charitable activities**
|Coaching programmes
Total 2024
**Investment income**
Interest received
Total 2024
**Other income**
Other income
Total 2024|**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**2025**
**£**
301,366
247,792
**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**2025**
**£**
31,214
19,431
**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**2025**
**£**
-
2,032|**Total**
**funds**
**2025**
**£**
**301,366**
247,792
**Total**
**funds**
**2025**
**£**
**31,214**
19,431
**Total**
**funds**
**2025**
**£**
**-**
2,032|Total
funds
2024
£
247,792|
|---|---|---|---|
||||Total
funds
2024
£
19,431|
||||Total
funds
2024
£
2,032|
|||||
## **7. Investment income**
## **8. Other income**
Page 27
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## **Spark Inside (A company limited by guarantee)**
**Notes to the financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2025**
## **9. Expenditure on raising funds**
## **Costs of raising voluntary income**
|**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**2025**
**£**
Costs of raising voluntary income
43,089
Total 2024
29,810|**Restricted**
**funds**
**2025**
**£**
-
12,207|**Total**
**funds**
**2025**
**£**
**43,089**
42,017|Total
funds
2024
£
42,017|
|---|---|---|---|
|||||
## **10. Analysis of expenditure on charitable activities**
## **Summary by fund type**
|**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**2025**
**£**
Coaching programmes
568,621
Total 2024
424,168|**Restricted**
**funds**
**2025**
**£**
582,232
540,233|**Total**
**2025**
**£**
**1,150,853**
964,401|Total
2024
£
964,401|
|---|---|---|---|
|||||
Page 28
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## **Spark Inside (A company limited by guarantee)**
## **Notes to the financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2025**
## **11. Analysis of expenditure by activities**
|Charitable activities
Total 2024
**Analysis of direct costs**
Staff costs
Training and events
Coaching and programme
Evaluation
Marketing
Travel expenses
Rent and office costs
Sundry and subscriptions
User involvement costs
Subcontractor costs
Total 2024|**Direct**
**costs**
**2025**
**£**
1,043,073
884,134|**Support**
**costs**
**2025**
**£**
107,780
80,267
**Charitable**
**activities**
**2025**
**£**
605,673
4,276
291,114
25,240
6,511
1,398
26,528
11,990
4,794
65,549
1,043,073
884,134|**Total**
**funds**
**2025**
**£**
**1,150,853**
964,401
**Total**
**funds**
**2025**
**£**
**605,673**
**4,276**
**291,114**
**25,240**
**6,511**
**1,398**
**26,528**
**11,990**
**4,794**
**65,549**
**1,043,073**
884,134|Total
funds
2024
£
964,401|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|||||Total
funds
2024
£
588,615
1,760
180,806
27,704
9,795
984
26,614
13,236
2,325
32,295|
|||||884,134|
||||||
Page 29
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## **Spark Inside (A company limited by guarantee)**
## **Notes to the financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2025**
## **11. Analysis of expenditure by activities (continued)**
## **Analysis of support costs**
|**Charitable**
**activities**
**2025**
**£**
Depreciation
2,495
Legal and professional
26,321
Recruitment
13,053
Computer costs
25,034
Insurance
3,318
Bank fees
80
Other staff costs
15,715
Interest paid
78
Entertaining
22
Governance costs (including auditors' remuneration)
21,664
107,780
Total 2024
80,267
**12.**
**Auditors' remuneration**
Fees payable to the Charity's auditor for the audit of the Charity's annual
accounts (inclusive of irrecoverable VAT)
Fees payable to the Charity's auditor in respect of:
All non-audit services not included above|**Total**
**funds**
**2025**
**£**
**2,495**
**26,321**
**13,053**
**25,034**
**3,318**
**80**
**15,715**
**78**
**22**
**21,664**
**107,780**
80,267
**2025**
**£**
**13,140**
**2,400**|Total
funds
2024
£
718
9,420
1,357
21,682
3,297
69
26,273
-
17
17,434|
|---|---|---|
|||80,267|
|||2024
£
12,000
2,400|
Page 30
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## **Spark Inside (A company limited by guarantee)**
## **Notes to the financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2025**
## **13. Staff costs**
|Wages and salaries
Social security costs
Pension costs|**2025**
**£**
**524,507**
**53,219**
**27,947**
**605,673**|2024
£
512,708
50,272
25,635|
|---|---|---|
||||
|||588,615|
The average number of persons employed by the Charity during the year was as follows:
|Staff
Directors|**2025**
**No.**
**13**
**11**
**24**|2024
No.
12
8|
|---|---|---|
||||
|||20|
The number of employees whose employee benefits (excluding employer pension costs) exceeded £60,000 was:
|||**2025**|2024|
|---|---|---|---|
|||**No.**|No.|
|In the band £80,001|- £90,000|**1**|1|
Employer pension contributions of £4,276 (2024: £4,104) were paid on behalf of the above staff.
In both 2024 and 2025 Spark Inside consider their key management personnel to consist of:
Vicki Cardwell Chief Executive, Luke Carey, Head of Service Delivery, Tom Currie, Head of Impact and Innovation, Louise Potter, Head of Communications and Advocacy, Julia Ross, Head of Finance and Operations.
These 5 (2024: 5) key management personnel received total aggregate remuneration of £314,765 (2024: £307,920) made up of salaries of £269,795 (2024: £264,379), employers national insurance £30,955 (2024: £30,292) and employers pension contributions of £14,015 (2024: £13,249).
## **14. Trustees' remuneration and expenses**
During the year, no Trustees received any remuneration or other benefits (2024 - £NIL).
During the year ended 31 March 2025, expenses totalling £1,155 were reimbursed or paid directly to 3 Trustees (2024 - £147 to 2 Trustees). Expenses reimbursed or paid directly to Trustees relate to board meeting costs and travel expenditure.
Page 31
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## **Spark Inside (A company limited by guarantee)**
**Notes to the financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2025**
**15. Tangible fixed assets**
|**Cost**
At 1 April 2024
Additions
Disposals
At 31 March 2025
**Depreciation**
At 1 April 2024
Charge for the year
On disposals
At 31 March 2025
**Net book value**
At 31 March 2025
At 31 March 2024|**Computer**
**equipment**
**£**
**11,837**
**7,258**
**(9,682)**|
|---|---|
||**9,413**|
||**11,359**
**2,495**
**(9,682)**|
||**4,172**|
||**5,241**|
||478|
## **16. Debtors**
|Trade debtors
Prepayments and accrued income|**2025**
**£**
**30,032**
**61,179**
**91,211**|2024
£
43,303
55,660
98,963|
|---|---|---|
Page 32
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## **Spark Inside (A company limited by guarantee)**
## **Notes to the financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2025**
## **17. Creditors: Amounts falling due within one year**
|Trade creditors
Other taxation and social security
Other creditors
Accruals and deferred income
Deferred income at 1 April 2024
Resources deferred during the year|**2025**
**£**
**32,226**
**13,287**
**3,123**
**75,439**
**124,075**
**2025**
**£**
**24,673**
**6,134**
**30,807**|2024
£
23,212
16,350
3,461
50,181|
|---|---|---|
||||
|||93,204|
|||2024
£
9,200
15,473|
||||
|||24,673|
Deferred income arises from grants received in the financial year that also relate to subsequent financial years.
Page 33
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## **Spark Inside (A company limited by guarantee)**
**Notes to the financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2025**
## **18. Statement of funds**
## **Statement of funds - current year**
|**Unrestricted funds**
General funds
**Restricted funds**
Charles Hayward Foundation
Black Perspective
St James's Place Charitable
Foundation
The Conversation®
Colyer Fergusson Charitable
Trust
Sir Halley Stewart Trust
The Triangle Trust 1949 Fund
Listening Fund
Paul Hamlyn Foundation
The Henry Smith Charity
Black Hero's Journey
HMPYOI Isis
Life Coaching
Barrow Cadbury Trust
Portal Trust
Champions for Children
City Bridge Trust
Ministry of Justice (HMPPS
Innovation Fund)
Innovation Project
Other Restricted Funds
**Total of funds**|**Balance at 1**
**April 2024**
**£**
**670,352**
**Balance at 1**
**April 2024**
**£**
**16,668**
**17,454**
**20,474**
**29,839**
**19,191**
**22,781**
**9,458**
**1,031**
**88,053**
**14,115**
**-**
**-**
**11,285**
**-**
**-**
**1,137**
**-**
**-**
**13,533**
**725**
**265,744**
**936,096**|**Income**
**£**
**819,290**
**Income**
**£**
**-**
**-**
**30,000**
**-**
**36,000**
**30,000**
**13,225**
**-**
**1,586**
**50,000**
**84,463**
**86,960**
**25,000**
**60,000**
**25,000**
**-**
**50,000**
**108,980**
**-**
**36,347**
**637,561**
**1,456,851**|**Expenditure**
**£**
**(611,710)**
**Expenditure**
**£**
**(16,668)**
**(12,797)**
**(24,551)**
**(7,462)**
**(45,029)**
**(26,598)**
**(11,701)**
**(1,869)**
**(48,453)**
**(49,665)**
**(3,551)**
**(42,800)**
**(34,080)**
**(34,365)**
**(18,740)**
**(1,137)**
**(40,570)**
**(123,251)**
**(13,533)**
**(25,412)**
**(582,232)**
**(1,193,942)**|**Transfers**
**in/out**
**£**
**(13,778)**
**Transfers**
**in/out**
**£**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**838**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**4,819**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**14,921**
**-**
**(6,800)**
**13,778**
**-**|**Balance at**
**31 March**
**2025**
**£**
**864,154**|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||||||**Balance at**
**31 March**
**2025**
**£**
**-**
**4,657**
**25,923**
**22,377**
**10,162**
**26,183**
**10,982**
**-**
**41,186**
**14,450**
**80,912**
**44,160**
**7,024**
**25,635**
**6,260**
**-**
**9,430**
**650**
**-**
**4,860**|
||||||**334,851**|
||||||**1,199,005**|
Page 34
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## **Spark Inside (A company limited by guarantee)**
**Notes to the financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2025**
## **18. Statement of funds (continued)**
Restricted funds
Black Perspective - a fund supporting the development of a culturally specific version of our Hero’s Journey™ life coaching programme for Black and Mixed Heritage young men in prison, funded through Big Give.
Big Give The Conversation® - a restricted fund for our systems coaching programme, bringing together groups of prison staff and prisoners to strengthen relationships, build empathy, and drive cultural change on prison wings.
Henry Smith Charity - a fund contributing to the running costs of the Hero’s Journey™ programme, providing support for young people transitioning to life after prison.
Listening Fund - funding from the Blagrave Trust’s Listening Fund to develop mechanisms that capture feedback and ideas from our participants.
Paul Hamlyn Foundation – a growth fund to support our strategic development and help finance our management team.
St James' Place Foundation - funding from the St James’s Place Charitable Foundation contributing to the salaries of Spark Inside’s Service Delivery Managers.
PHF Expert Support - additional funding from the Paul Hamlyn Foundation to access expert support and advice.
HMPYOI Isis - a fund supporting the coaching of young people and staff at HMPYOI Isis.
Life Coaching – funding to provide a life coaching programme for prison staff.
Barrow Cadbury Trust – a three-year grant to advance our policy work advocating for the wellbeing of young people in prison and tackling racial inequity in the criminal justice system.
Colyer-Fergusson Charitable Trust – funding of £36,000 per year for three years to support our work in HMP Cookham Wood.
Champions for Children - helping us deliver our life coaching programmes for young people.
Portal Trust - supporting the Hero’s Journey™ programme, transforming the lives of vulnerable and disadvantaged young people in HMPYOI Isis.
Charles Hayward Foundation - funding the delivery of Hero’s Journey™, Black Hero’s Journey™, and Hero’s Journey™ in the community.
Innovation Project – funding to support our impact and innovation work.
Ministry of Justice (HMPPS Innovation Fund) - a fund to pilot our Black Hero’s Journey™ programme (a culturally specific version of Hero’s Journey™ for young Black and Mixed Heritage men aged 18–30) at HMPYOI Feltham and HMP Brixton.
Sir Halley Stewart - a fund supporting The Resolve Project: an innovative initiative bringing prison staff and prisoners together to prevent and resolve conflict, transform prison culture, and support genuine rehabilitation.
Page 35
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## **Spark Inside (A company limited by guarantee)**
**Notes to the financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2025**
## **18. Statement of funds (continued)**
The Triangle Trust 1949 Fund - funding for an innovative programme providing gym-based prison staff with reflective space and tools to improve their own wellbeing, enhance their interactions with prisoners through a coaching approach, and contribute to rehabilitation.
City Bridge Trust - a five year grant supporting Spark Inside to deliver innovative life coaching that empowers over 1,200 vulnerable young Londoners—mostly from Black and minoritised backgrounds—to break the cycle of offending, build new skills and identities, and lead independent, positive lives.
Black Hero's Journey - support for our transformative Black Hero's Journey life coaching programme.
Esmée Fairbairn - funding a consultant providing expert advice on income growth.
The Innholders Charitable Foundation - A fund towards transforming the lives of young people in prison in HMP Brixton by providing one-to-one Hero’s Journey™ life coaching sessions to young people (age 15 to 25) in HMP Brixton.
The Clothworkers' Foundation - funding for a vital and urgent upgrade to Spark Inside’s IT infrastructure.
The National Lottery Community Fund - supporting Spark Inside to unlock the potential of young people in HMPYOI Isis through life coaching.
Other restricted funds include; The Innholders Charitable Foundation, The Clothworkers' Foundation and The National Lottery Community Fund.
## **Statement of funds - prior year**
||||||Balance at|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||Balance at|||Transfers|31 March|
||1 April 2023|Income|Expenditure|in/out|2024|
||£|£|£|£|£|
|**Unrestricted funds**||||||
|General funds|523,158|624,045|(453,978)|(22,873)|670,352|
Page 36
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## **Spark Inside (A company limited by guarantee)**
## **Notes to the financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2025**
## **18. Statement of funds (continued)**
|**Restricted funds**
Charles Hayward Foundation
Black Perspective
St James's Place Charitable
Foundation
The Conversation®
Colyer Fergusson Charitable
Trust
Sir Halley Stewart Trust
The Triangle Trust 1949 Fund
Listening Fund
Paul Hamlyn Foundation
The Henry Smith Charity
Black Hero's Journey
HMPYOI Isis
Life Coaching
Barrow Cadbury Trust
Portal Trust
Champions for Children
City Bridge Trust
Ministry of Justice (HMPPS
Innovation Fund)
Innovation Project
Other Restricted Funds
**Total of funds**|Balance at
1 April 2023
£
16,667
17,862
17,459
52,808
44,908
-
-
-
42,514
14,630
8,750
20,864
6,765
11,492
5,081
43,562
-
-
27,086
1,750
332,198
855,356|Income
£
25,000
-
30,000
-
-
30,000
13,225
25,000
110,000
50,000
-
8,718
25,000
1,000
25,000
-
30,000
54,490
21,447
14,233
463,113
1,087,158|Expenditure
£
(24,999)
(408)
(26,985)
(22,969)
(25,717)
(7,219)
(3,767)
(23,969)
(64,461)
(50,515)
(8,750)
(42,400)
(20,480)
(12,492)
(38,370)
(42,572)
(30,000)
(55,562)
(35,000)
(15,805)
(552,440)
(1,006,418)|Transfers
in/out
£
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
12,818
-
-
8,289
147
-
1,072
-
547
22,873
-|Balance at
31 March
2024
£
16,668
17,454
20,474
29,839
19,191
22,781
9,458
1,031
88,053
14,115
-
-
11,285
-
-
1,137
-
-
13,533
725|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||||||265,744|
||||||936,096|
Page 37
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## **Spark Inside (A company limited by guarantee)**
**Notes to the financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2025**
## **19. Analysis of net assets between funds**
## **Analysis of net assets between funds - current year**
|**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**2025**
**Restricted**
**funds**
**2025**
**£**
**£**
Tangible fixed assets
5,241
-
Current assets
982,988
334,851
Creditors due within one year
(124,075)
-
**Total**
864,154
334,851
**Analysis of net assets between funds - prior year**
Unrestricted
funds
2024
Restricted
funds
2024
£
£
Tangible fixed assets
478
-
Current assets
763,078
265,744
Creditors due within one year
(93,204)
-
**Total**
670,352
265,744
**Reconciliation of net movement in funds to net cash flow from operating activities**
**2025**
**£**
Net income for the year (as per Statement of Financial Activities)
**262,909**
**Adjustments for:**
Depreciation charges
**2,495**
Dividends, interests and rents from investments
**(31,136)**
Decrease / (increase) in debtors
**7,752**
Increase in creditors
**30,871**
**Net cash provided by operating activities**
**272,891**|**Total**
**funds**
**2025**
**£**
**5,241**
**1,317,839**
**(124,075)**
**1,199,005**
Total
funds
2024
£
478
1,028,822
(93,204)
936,096
2024
£
80,740
718
(19,431)
(77,067)
18,088
3,048|
|---|---|
## **20. Reconciliation of net movement in funds to net cash flow from operating activities**
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## **Spark Inside (A company limited by guarantee)**
**Notes to the financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2025**
## **21. Analysis of cash and cash equivalents**
|Cash at bank
**Total cash and cash equivalents**|**2025**
**£**
**1,226,628**
**1,226,628**|2024
£
929,859|
|---|---|---|
||||
|||929,859|
## **22. Analysis of changes in net debt**
|Cash at bank|**At 1 April**
**2024**
**£**
**929,859**
**929,859**|**Cash flows**
**£**
**296,769**
**296,769**|**At 31 March**
**2025**
**£**
**1,226,628**|
|---|---|---|---|
||||**1,226,628**|
## **23. Pension commitments**
The assets of the scheme are held separately from those of the charity in an independently administered fund. The pension cost charge represents contributions payable by the charity to the fund and amounted to £27,947 (2024: £25,635). At the balance sheet date there were contributions of £3,123 due to the fund (2024: £3,461).
## **24. Operating lease commitments**
At 31 March 2025 the Charity had commitments to make future minimum lease payments under noncancellable operating leases as follows:
||||**2025**|2024|
|---|---|---|---|---|
||||**£**|£|
|Not later than|1|year|**9,500**|5,838|
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## **Spark Inside**
## **(A company limited by guarantee)**
## **Notes to the financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2025**
## **25. Related party transactions**
There were no disclosable related party transactions during the year (2024 - £Nil) and there are no balances outstanding with any related parties at the Balance sheet date (2024 - £Nil).
## **26. Controlling party**
The trustees who are also directors control the charity.
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