In spite of / despite
After in spite of and despite we use a noun or a pronoun.
We enjoyed our camping holiday in spite of the rain.
Despite the pain in his leg he completed the marathon.
Despite having all the necessary qualifications, they didn’t offer me the job.
Remember that the gerund (‘-ing’ form) is the ‘noun’ form of a verb.
The only difference between in spite of and despite is the ‘of’.