SPARK SOCIAL VENTURES
Vision: A world where trauma is met with understanding, and resilience is nurtured in every community.
Mission: To empower individuals and organisations with the tools to understand trauma, build resilience, and create compassionate systems that foster healing and growth.
Theory of Change
Our belief: Trauma is a universal experience, but resilience is a universal capacity. By equipping individuals and organisations with the right tools, knowledge, and support, we can transform how communities respond to adversity—fostering healing, growth, and systemic change.
How change happens:
Start with awareness: Trauma often goes unrecognised, leading to cycles of harm. We begin by raising awareness about trauma’s impact and the power of resilience.
Build skills: Through workshops and supervision, we empower individuals and organisations to integrate trauma-informed practices and resilience-building strategies into their daily lives and work.
Community Connection: By fostering peer networks, we create spaces where people can share experiences, learn from one another, and build collective resilience.
Systemic Influence: Through partnerships and advocacy, we help embed trauma-informed and resilience-building practices into policies and organisational frameworks.
Core assumptions:
Trauma is widespread and under-recognised, leading to cycles of harm in workplaces, schools, and communities.
Resilience is not innate but can be nurtured through skill-building, supportive relationships, and systemic changes.
Small, targeted interventions (e.g., training key leaders) can create ripple effects across communities.
Grassroots networks can sustain momentum.
Key Definitions
Trauma- Informed Practices
An approach that recognizes the widespread impact of trauma, emphasizes physical and emotional safety, and fosters empowerment through collaboration and choice.
Source: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA, 2014) outlines six key principles: safety, trustworthiness, peer support, collaboration, empowerment, and cultural sensitivity.
Takeaway: It’s about shifting from asking “What’s wrong with you?” to “What happened to you?”—creating environments where people feel seen, safe, and supported.
What It’s NOT:
≠ A checklist or “one-time training.” It requires ongoing systemic change.
≠ Excusing harmful behavior. It’s about understanding context, not removing accountability.
≠ Treating everyone the same. It demands cultural humility, not assumptions about trauma.
Resilience-Building Strategies
Strategies that strengthen an individual’s or community’s ability to adapt, recover, and grow from adversity.
Source: Grounded in Dr. Ann Masten’s research on “ordinary magic,” which identifies resilience as a common human capacity nurtured by supportive relationships, skill-building, and accessible resources. The American Psychological Association (APA) further defines resilience through pillars like connection, purpose, and wellness.
Takeaway: Resilience isn’t about “toughing it out”—it’s about building networks, skills, and hope so people don’t just bounce back, they bounce forward.
What It’s NOT:
≠ Forcing people to “bounce back” alone. Resilience thrives in community, not isolation.
≠ Ignoring systemic barriers (e.g., poverty, racism). Individual grit can’t override inequity.
≠ A substitute for trauma healing. Resilience complements recovery; it doesn’t erase pain.
Contact us
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