Since 2020, we’ve been putting out fires left, right, and centre in the fight for racial justice in the U.K. and beyond. Spark started as a COVID-19 response organisation, creating and sharing resources and breaking down the complex rules and regulations that the previous government was releasing at a rapid rate, often to the confusion of the general public, with rules changing week by week.
In light of this, our team spent numerous hours ensuring that the information we shared was accurate, accessible, and culturally informed. This meant we barely had time to catch our breath. As all of us should know by now, urgency culture often leads to burnout, especially for racialised individuals who are forced to navigate the pressures of living under systemic racism and still function as though we’re not impacted by it; our team is not exempt from this.
The pandemic brought to light the fact that the inequities and injustices our communities experienced weren’t a result of COVID-19 but a direct result of years of systemic oppression. Ishita, our founder and CEO, set up Spark because she could see the correlation between the disproportionate deaths experienced by our community and systemic inequities in healthcare, housing, education, criminal justice and more.
And so Spark evolved to meet the needs of our community, using what we had learnt from years of working in the charity, fundraising, education, and wider sectors. With the pandemic, we saw the Black Lives Matter movement reignited worldwide on our streets and our screens. We began producing resources on legal rights for direct action and grassroots organising, highlighting proposed bills and pieces of legislation, such as the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill and the Illegal Immigration Bill, which were being rushed through the courts at the time.
We develop resources on everything and anything concerning racial injustice in the UK, always ensuring that our message is one of hope and inspiration. Where information was shared, a call to action or a way to support would be part of that message.
In 2023, we evolved further, establishing Spark Insights, a research and consultancy collective, which is now one of three pillars of Spark’s systems-change work. Over the past three years, we’ve collaborated with notable organisations in the charity and broader social impact sector, providing anti-racist and anti-oppressive learning and research to organisations ranging from charities to funders, universities, and local councils. We’re incredibly proud to have worked with organisations like Macmillan, Mind, Power to Change, Big Issue Invest, Evidence Islington, Camden Wealth Fund, Shift, Koreo, London Greater Authority, York St. John University and more!
We’re grateful for the work we’ve been involved with, and proud of the impact we’ve made in our communities and within the sector itself. However, to continue this work with the integrity it demands, we must take a moment to rest. For some of you, this may feel unexpected, as we recently received funding from Esmeé Fairbairn Foundation and Civic Power Fund, have rebranded, and developed two new programmes: the Racial Justice Response Package and Grassroots Run Deep.
It may also seem like a challenging moment to take pause, especially at a time when this type of work is so desperately needed. We’re experiencing a rapid rise in fascism, with the seeds of authoritarianism taking root. However, the fight for a liberated future isn’t linear, it isn’t a race but a marathon, which means we must rest, conserve our energy and come back to the table revitalised and re-energised to take on the status quo.
We hold this pause with a deep awareness of the world we live in – a world where communities in Palestine, Congo, and Sudan are facing unimaginable violence and displacement, where disabled people are being pushed to the margins through devastating cuts, where trans and gender expansive folks continue to fight for their very existence, where non-violent direct action is at threat and where far right political parties are becoming increasingly popular and migrant communities are scapegoated.
In a political climate that often feels dehumanising and unjust, we remain grounded in our belief that rest, care, and collective action are radical acts. We’re taking this hiatus as a conscious choice to prioritise health, new adventures, and family. We’re embracing this moment of change with openness and care. We are doing this so that we may show up in the long run.
We are fortunate to make this choice – to step back with intention and return to the work when the time is right, with renewed clarity and purpose. We’ll share more when we’re ready, and we thank you for your continued support and understanding. We’re all very excited for what lies ahead and recognise this as a time to slow down, connect with our loved ones, and embrace rest in its most restorative sense.
As Tricia Hersey said in her seminal book, Rest Is Resistance: A Manifesto:
You were not just born to centre your entire existence on work and labour. You were born to heal, to grow, to be of service to yourself and community, to practice, to experiment, to create, to have space, to dream, and to connect.
To build a family, to organise outside of the confines of capitalism, to take time to learn, be creative and to grow is rest. With this time, we will fuel ourselves to come back to you wiser, well-rested and more committed to liberation than ever before. While we’re away, we have a few things for you to be aware of and check out.
Before we head off, we would like to say a massive thank you to our community, consultants, clients, and funders for your unwavering support. You are the reason we exist and why we do the work we do. Our resources will still be available during this time; we’ve linked to them below.
Spark Community
Although we’re going on hiatus, we’re not leaving you high and dry. Our website will remain active, and you can continue to access resources, articles, and guides via Spark Community and our Directory of Support.
Spark Insights
Over the next few months, we won’t be taking on any new client enquiries. However, we would still love to hear from you if you have any projects starting in 2026:
- Send an enquiry via workwithus@sparkandco.co.uk
- You can also access articles and guides via our Spark Insights page.
Spark Opportunity
As part of our hiatus, we’ve paused research participation, employment and bursary award opportunities. However, this doesn’t mean we don’t want to hear from you, it just means it will take a bit of time until you hear back from us!
- Register your interest for our Consultancy Network here. We’ll reach back out in 2026.
Stay in touch!
- Sign up for our newsletter here to be the first to know when we’re back!