Our history

Since launching twenty years ago from one location in Hammersmith, West London, Resurgo’s Spear Programme reaches the milestone of having coached 10,000 young people from 17 locations across the UK.

Delivered in partnership with Trinity Cheltenham, the programme will be pioneering a new phase in Spear’s development, by delivering a new and streamlined version.

Christopher Wagstaff, Centre Manager, says, “We are so excited to be launching Spear Cheltenham in January. We cannot wait to start welcoming young people and to work with them to realise their potential.” 

2023 marks 20 years since Resurgo was founded in West London by Revd Tom Jackson MBE and Jo Rice, who had a vision to bring lasting change to young people experiencing poverty who were not able to access the opportunities that were available to them. Watch our 20th-anniversary film here.

With the desire to make the award-winning Spear Programme more accessible for young people all over the UK, Resurgo tailors a lighter-touch model, which we launch in Preston.

Resurgo sets itself strategic goals for this year with a new clear mission statement – to inspire and equip organisations to bring about ambitions and sustainable social change through our expertise in coaching, impact management and programme delivery.

Resurgo’s CEO Jo Rice and Junior Bayode (a Resurgo Trustee) visit N0. 10 to discuss sentencing strategies with Myles Stacey.

The MOBO award-winning rapper said he is “…honoured to be an Ambassador for Resurgo and help them in connecting young people with the bright future they’re so capable of having.”

17 years since our first Spear centre opened its doors in Hammersmith, we celebrate its 100^th cohort of trainees. Since its inception, Spear Hammersmith and Fulham has supported more than 1400 young people, some of whom join this celebration to speak about their journeys since 2004.

In response to the rise in unemployment stemming from the Covid19 crisis, Resurgo launches Re-Work. Taking our expertise in employment coaching from the Spear Programme, we partner with different churches to support adults who are experiencing unemployment.

Resurgo partners with Bridge Community Church to launch the Spear Programme in Leeds. This centre launches in line with Resurgo’s ambition to expand across the UK, to help change the lives of young people who are facing different barriers to getting into work or education.

Resurgo partners with St Peter’s Brighton to launch the award-winning Spear programme in Brighton in September, the first Spear centre to open outside London. The centre’s work aims to change the lives of 90 young people from disadvantaged backgrounds each year.

Resurgo founder Tom Jackson is appointed Member of the British Empire in Her Majesty the Queen’s Birthday Honours, for services to young people and the community.

First cohort of 7 entrepreneurs creating social impact in areas such as trafficking, suporting ex-offenders into work and addressing food poverty.

Resurgo is chosen as a winner of the prestigious Princess Royal Training Award, which is given to organisations whose internal training is recognised to be of exceptional quality. Following an inspection by an independent assessor, we were thrilled to be named as a recipient, along with 40 other UK businesses and organisations.

Resurgo is awarded the ERSA Award for Services to Youth Unemployment, in recognition of the Spear programme. The ERSA Employability Awards seek to celebrate people and organisations working across the employment support sector to help jobseekers in their journey towards employment, including specialist employment support organisations, personal advisors, employers and jobseekers themselves.

Multi-award-winning comedian, actor and writer, Miranda Hart says “I’m honoured to be Resurgo’s Ambassador – the work is a huge inspiration to me and I hope you’ll join me by getting involved.”

David Cameron visits Spear Hammersmith, commenting: ‘I have seen at first hand the difference you are making, giving people the motivation and practical life skills they need to make a success of their lives.’

A second Spear centre opens on the World’s End estate in Chelsea.

Resurgo was constituted as a charitable company as co-founder Jo Rice joins the organisation.

Living in South Africa, Resurgo Co-Founder Tom Jackson was struck by the example of Nelson Mandela and the spirit of “nation-building” he released in others. Tom encountered ordinary people that were inspired to create jobs, build homes and volunteer in hospitals, to help equip those facing challenging circumstances to change their lives. Upon return to the UK, Tom begins to consider – what might a similar movement of citizens look like to strengthen society in the UK?