#147 Helping young people in prison to find their purpose, Vicki Cardwell CEO of Spark Inside

<p>Introducing Vicki Cardwell, the CEO of Spark Inside, an award-winning charity that delivers coaching in UK prisons. Vicki brings her strong belief in coaching and mentoring, as well as her personal and professional journey, to her role of empowering young people in the criminal justice system. Since its establishment in 2012, Spark Inside has been dedicated to inspiring young people to unlock their full potential and discover their life&#39;s purpose. Over the course of 11 years, the charity has worked with 1,500 young people in prison, earning a reputation for its human-centered and innovative approach. Vicki joined the organization in January 2020, just before the global pandemic hit. It was a challenging time as Spark Inside faced restrictions and was unable to deliver their in-person mentoring program. Vicki had to rethink the organisation&#39;s approach and pivot their services to continue helping young people in the best way possible. Stepping into her first CEO role, Vicki was delighted to take the reins from founder Baillie Aarons. Baillie, a serial social entrepreneur, previously founded the US non-profit Venturing Out, providing entrepreneurship education to people in prison before relocating from Canada to London in 2015. Baillie recognised that many individuals in prison faced barriers to living a crime-free future, despite their motivation to change once they connected with their passion, or what she calls their &quot;spark inside.&quot; She aimed to create a program that would provide these young people with a purpose to strive for upon release, offering a more appealing alternative to a return to crime. Through her immersion in the coaching world, Baillie met a passionate life coach who designed what is now Spark Inside&#39;s award-winning intervention, Hero&#39;s Journey™ – a structured life coaching program for 15-to-25-year-olds in prison. Hero&#39;s Journey™ aims to enhance young people&#39;s motivation to transform their lives, ultimately reducing reoffending, making society safer, an