Our impact

We’ve been running the Spear Programme for more than two decades, coaching young people to break down barriers and thrive in work and life.

We measure the impact of everything we do and are constantly evolving. The result is that Spear has been rated independently as one of the most effective programmes of its kind.

And with around 1 in 8 young people out of work and education, and a rise in mental health challenges, our impact has never been more important.

Read about the young lives transformed in our latest Impact Report.

Over 70% of those who complete the initial 4 to 6 weeks of Spear are in work or education a year later

94% of the young people on the programme in 2025 faced at least one barrier to employment

Our impact publications

NB: Some of these publications refer to our previous name, Resurgo. We became Spear in 2026.

Watch stories of our impact

Barriers we measure

In order to ensure we work with those young people who most need our help, we measure barriers to employment faced by those enrolling on the Spear Programme. These include:

Receiving free school meals in year 11, which signifies a household with a very low income
Parents/guardians claiming benefits
Living in care at some point
Less than 5 GCSEs in year 11
Have a criminal record

We are really proud that young people are able to overcome these barriers and that over 70% of those who complete the programme get into work or education, and remain there a year later.