Resurgo is delighted to be partnering 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.

Brighton has areas of contrasting wealth, with some areas appearing in the bottom one per cent for deprivation in England, such as the Whitehawk Estate where St Peters has planted a congregation into St Cuthman’s Church. In addition, the local economy provides a high number of entry-level jobs that businesses report school leavers are often not equipped to move into. Spear will meet the needs of young people who will benefit from coaching around mindset, attitude and hard skills in order to enter the workplace, and the needs of businesses who are looking for work-ready local young people to employ.

The first Spear programme will begin in September and will be open to 16-24-year-olds who are not in education, employment or training.

Revd Archie Coates, Vicar of St Peter’s, Brighton, said, “We are thrilled to be launching Spear Brighton and believe it will bring transformation and hope to the lives of young people across the city for generations to come.”

Tom Jackson, Chief Executive of Resurgo said, “This is a particularly exciting moment for Spear to launch outside of London for the first time with a brilliant partner in St Peter’s.  I am greatly looking forward to working closely together and making an important impact in Brighton.”

Jo Rice, Managing Director of Resurgo, said, “In the eight years since the church was re-opened, the congregation has delivered outstanding care to those most in need in the community. We hope that Spear will complement this existing work and enable them to reach out to new pockets of deep need. Our years of experience have shown that Spear’s success can be replicated, and we are looking forward to Spear expanding its reach to the South coast. Our thanks go to the team in Brighton who have caught the vision and worked hard to make this happen.”