PEOPLE-CENTRED CHANGE CONSULTANCY • SINCE 2016
Make change possible,
with empathy and evidence
We bring together people, lived experience and insight to help teams and leaders
make sense of challenges, take confident decisions and create lasting improvements.
Trusted by NHS trusts, local authorities, ICBs and SEND partnerships
10+ years • 50+ projects • 5,100+ people engaged
Every project starts by listening, deeply.
The people closest to a challenge bring perspectives that matter. We create the space to listen, make sense of what we learn and shape better ways forward, together.
FOR TEAMS AND ORGANISATIONS
Make complex change possible
We help teams and organisations navigate complex challenges, bringing people, lived experience and evidence together to shape better services and lasting improvements.
From engagement and evaluation, to service redesign and long-term transformation partnerships.
FOR YOU
10 minutes to hear yourself think
For people juggling competing demands while working to make a difference.
Keep a Little Space is a free guided audio and reflection card to help you pause, hear yourself think and reconnect with what matters.
[Coming soon]
OUR PURPOSE
Rekindling trust and humanity in public services.
We believe lasting changes happen when people feel heard, evidence informs decisions and organisations create the conditions for people to work together.
Our ambition is for more open, kind and fair experiences, for everyone delivering and relying on public services.
“It really is the little things, the sparks, that can go on to make all the difference. To people’s experiences, days and lives.”
A NOTE FROM OUR FOUNDER
I founded Spark the Difference because I believed public services could feel more human, both for the people working in them and those relying on them. 10 years on, this feels more important than ever. We bring lived experience and evidence into decisions, helping people work together to create services and experiences that are more open, kind and fair.
Sam Meikle, Founder and Director
We can help you with:
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Inclusive, trauma-informed engagement across diverse communities
Best practice sampling and engagement across demographic groups, using blended qualitative and quantitative methods
Skilled facilitation of large-scale system-wide conversations and co-production events
Building trusted relationships across professionals, communities and policymakers
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Integrating qualitative insight with quantitative data, modelling and forecasting
Evaluations and learning reports, service modelling and service user journey mapping
Translating insight into business cases, commissioning specifications and delivery models
Clear, actionable reporting that supports confident executive decision-making
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Structured frameworks to embed co-production into governance, planning and commissioning cycles
Training and coaching for commissioners, clinical leaders and operational teams
Longer-term advisory support to strengthen internal capability and culture
“Spark helps us think differently. I don't know how they do it, but you always come away going, ‘gosh, yes, I hadn't thought of that before’.”
WHAT PEOPLE SAY
- ICB Commissioner
“The focus of the work was on ‘what do families want and how do we use this information to drive service change’. The culmination of the work was a large service user/staff event where families and staff presented their stories and used co-design in real time to make changes to services. The event was inspiring and staff and families’ feedback was extremely positive.”
— NHS Trust Chief Executive
“Careful research and human-centred design are what you and your team bring to the question of how care should feel for the people who receive it. Your partnership work has placed families of children with special educational needs at the centre of decisions that affect them, and you handle sensitive subjects with calm and openness. Because of you, voices so often missing from strategic discussions are heard and acted on.”
– Finalist in Partnership That Makes a Difference, Elysian Awards 2027
“This has only been possible by helping these managers build their skill and confidence and by giving them some powerful tools to work in this different way. The result has been remarkable. These practices now have thriving and positive relationships with their patient reps; and reps have come forward who are not the usual type – different ages and ethnicities.
— GP Confederation Chief Executive
Our commitments
Creating fairer, kinder and more open interactions starts with how we run our own business.
These are some of the ways we put our values into practice.
An accredited Living Wage Employer
People deserve to be paid fairly for their work. Spark the Difference became an accredited Living Wage Employer in January 2026, reflecting our commitment to treating people with care and respect.
Reducing our carbon footprint
We’ve measured our 2025 carbon footprint (with a baseline of 11.5 tCO₂e) and have created a plan to reduce our emissions. We’re using what we’ve learned to make more thoughtful choices about what we buy, how we travel and how we use our workspace.
Our aim is to reach net zero by 2040, prioritising emissions reductions.
We’ll review our progress annually and improve our measurement as better information becomes available.
