This last summer I read a book by Bryan Stevenson called Just Mercy which challenged me to my core for a number of reasons. Stevenson advocates on behalf of the marginalised, particularly those wrongly accused on death row. Two points he made reminded me of Spear, a charity I love so much, and why it is so effective at coaching young people from disadvantaged families back into work (or into work for the first time). His first point was to be “proximate”. The coaches at Spear have a vocational calling to the flourishing of disadvantaged young people. The coaches literally stand shoulder to shoulder with the young people on their courses to ensure that these kids' untapped talent has a way of being seen and used in long-term employment.  The second was that society has a tendency to
discard “broken” people. The key is to understand that we are all broken in some way and that we all should be able to access a redemptive pathway to a full life. Spear provides just that transformative pathway for so many young people across London and beyond. With this background and with less than a week before I run, I have chosen to double my initial target to £3,000 as I want as many of
us as possible to walk alongside and partner with this incredible work. 

Thank you so much for your support, and I promise to run my heart out next Sunday in honour of the incredible people who work at Spear and the young people they serve.

With lots of love and deep thanks,

Ali xxx

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