How one student transformed through the First Give programme
At First Give, we are dedicated to empowering young people as they make a positive difference in their communities through charitable social action.
Through our core programme, a whole year group of students engages in a dynamic experience where they identify social issues that they care about, connect with local charities and develop and deliver social action projects for those charities. In the latter half of the programme, students develop engaging and creative presentations that they’ll showcase at their school’s First Give Final – an exciting celebration at the end of their programme where the year group compete in their classes to secure a £1,000 First Give grant on behalf of their class charity.
Rehana is a Year 9 student at Feversham Academy, based in Bradford, West Yorkshire. Last year, she took part in the First Give programme at her school, supporting Bradford Nightstop – a charity that provides emergency accommodation for young people in need. “I think what shocked us all the most was how much this happens in Bradford” said Rehana. “When we met Bradford Nightstop, they told us how they provide a bed for homeless people to sleep in for a night, and some of the people in my class were in tears thinking about how hard it must be to send people on their way in the morning.”
Bradford Nightstop’s model is to provide a stop for the night to young people aged between 16 – 25 who are experiencing homelessness in Bradford. In addition to a one-night stay with a trained volunteer, homeless people are given access to valuable support for their next steps. Rehana and her peers won the First Give grant on behalf of their charity, and were praised particularly for their passion and commitment to the cause, as demonstrated through their engaging presentation, which included a role play that sought to demonstrate the tremendous impact Bradford Nightstop could have on a young person in need of support, and also a poem written by students in the class that had a tremendous emotional impact on the audience during the Final, too.
“Rehana really blossomed through the First Give programme” says Ms Ahmed, who coordinates the programme at Feversham Academy. “She took on a leadership role within the class, and she kept everybody on task throughout. It was great to see her step up like that. The other students in her class really responded to her leadership, and it has been a privilege to see her confidence grow”. When asked what she had learned from the programme, Rehana responded by saying:
“This is real life. It’s not a test in school, it’s not made up, it’s real people facing real problems. I wanted to do something to help, and it is amazing to me that there are these charities that support people in our community. It’s important that we help and we get involved to do something about it, too. If I could give any advice to a First Give student starting the programme this year, I’d tell them not to be afraid to put themselves out there. Be brave and talk about the things that matter to you – you can make a difference.”
Rehana, Year 9 student at Feversham Academy
Feversham Academy are now taking part in their 7th First Give programme, and we are excited to hear about the journey this new cohort of students will go on through the programme. Thank you again to Rehana for speaking to us, and for speaking with such passion and commitment about the impact you had through the programme, as well as the impact it had on you!