Sparkle Scholarship

Aim

The Sparkle Scholarship provides education, training and one-to-one support for young people who have experienced sexual abuse and assault.

The idea for the Sparkle Scholarship was born from an overwhelming need. I work with people who have experienced rape, sexual assault and sexual abuse, and last year I noticed a huge need from young people, predominantly young women aged 13-15, who had been assaulted, often by a fellow pupil, but were receiving little to no support from their schools. Schools didn't know where to turn, teachers felt overwhelmed, and students felt isolated and alone, with no safe space to work through their trauma alongside managing their studies, social life and family relationships. The idea for the scholarship was born from there- a clear need for education, training and support to be embedded within schools, providing a three-pronged intervention:

1. Prevention. The Scholarship includes a package of assemblies and workshops to help young people understand healthy boundaries and relationships, with a focus on core themes like body positivity and consent. This way, students have healthy dynamics modelled for them, and understand how to navigate and communicate boundaries and consent. 

2. Education. Students and staff are educated on how to deal with a disclosure, how to support someone through the immediate and intermediate aftermath of an assault, and what the options are for an individual following an incident. Frameworks and referral mechanisms are established to ensure victims receive the appropriate support as soon as possible, which has been proven to vastly reduce the time it takes someone to recover from trauma, reduce instances of PTSD and re-traumatisation, and minimise the impact of an assault on someone's life.

3. Intervention and support. Most crucially, the scholarship provides sustained programmes of tailored support for students who have experienced rape and sexual assault. Each package offers a full one-to-one programme for six students per term, with scope to flex and extend dependent on need. Students will work with the same Sparkle practitioner for the duration of their programme, creating a safe space with someone who truly understands what they're going through and how to support them to move forward. They will be offered practical advice, mentorship and coaching to support them through their journey to recovery, including navigating the police system, school and home life, all of which are heavily impacted as a result of a trauma.

What the funding will support:

Our target is to raise £5,000 to provide the Sparkle Scholarship in two schools. Our mission is to ensure that no child suffers through sexual assault alone, and gives every child hope for the future. Our long-term vision is to have Sparkle practitioners providing Sparkle intervention in schools nationwide.

In each school, the funding will provide:

- An assembly on the Scholarship so students have an awareness of the key themes (consent, healthy boundaries and body positivity/body image) and what the project provides

- Three workshops for students who are at risk or vulnerable

- Training and support for staff

- Weekly one to one support for pupils who have experienced assault or abuse, to help them process and overcome their trauma and receive the help they need to meaningful to recover and thrive.

More details on what each component involves and how you can directly contribute to providing an aspect of this package can be found in the Rewards section.

Don't just take it from us- here's what young people who have worked with Sparkle have said about us:

"It makes such a difference having someone who I can actually relate to, who knows what I've experienced and understands what I'm going through". - M

"Working with Laura changed my life. Before I met her I thought my life would never be the same, but she's helped me see that I can be happy again. I've got my sparkle back". - C

This project successfully funded on 10th January 2020