“Anyone can make a difference”. The First Give programme at the John Fisher School.

The John Fisher School and First Give have partnered since 2015, and this year’s programme highlighted the many benefits of the programme for the school, its students and the community of Purley.

Through the programme, year nine had positively engaged with a range of charities working in the local area, including The Ben Kinsella Trust, Sutton United Foundation, The Sutton Mental Health Foundation and the local branch of the MS Society. At the Final, we were joined by judges from inside school, including the Head Student, and representatives from the local council and police force. The decision of which class would win the £1,000 First Give grant for their chosen charity was  extremely challenging due to the high standard of presentations that year nine delivered. But eventually the class who had supported the local branch of the MS Society won through.

We spoke to the students at the Final to gain an insight into their experience and how taking part in the First Give programme had helped them. They told us “We’re feeling quite proud because we’ve put in a lot of work to get here.”

But of course, all the groups had put in a lot of work. So what was it that they think made their group stand out from the crowd?

…We chose the MS Society because it’s very personal to us – about half of us know someone with MS.

“I think it’s got something to do with the fact that we chose to represent the MS Society because it’s very personal to us – about half of us know someone with MS.” Sure enough, this connection and commitment to the cause was one of the key elements that the judges commented on in the deliberations. The group had all worn t-shirts loaned by the charity, demonstrating this commitment, and literally making them stand out amongst the presenting groups.

In our conversation with them, they reflected on their own experience and how they had benefitted. So we asked them why First Give is important as an experience in school. They told us, “First Give gives students confidence and it teaches to give back to the community…The biggest thing I’m going to take away is that anyone can make a difference. It doesn’t take a big celebrity or something to make a change”

The biggest thing I’m going to take away is that anyone can make a difference

Through the First Give programme these students had learnt in detail about the social issue. They explained it clearly, with members of the panel commenting that their awareness of the realities of MS were much improved as a result of the clearly delivered presentation. Not only this, but they had reflected on their role in the local community. They had taken action to make a positive change and it had really paid off. Their organisation, planning, teamworking and presentation skills had all been challenged, and improved as a result. And their commitment to giving back to the community was clear.

We also had the pleasure of speaking with Nigel, a volunteer from Sutton MS Society, who had supported the class throughout the programme with in depth information about their work and the impact that £1,000 could have. “I was so impressed by them because MS is such a complicated thing to explain and people will have so much more awareness about what it is….The money will be spent in the local area providing grants that we make for things like mobility scooters, railings to make homes more adaptable or respite care for carers. We have applications all the time from people so it will really help.”

The boys, and all of us at First Give were delighted to hear that the funds they had raised, and the grant that they won through the programme were going to such a good, local and worthy cause.

We hope that all students in year nine will look back on their experience of the First Give programme as an inspiration and motivation for ongoing social action and generosity. It is after all the First Give programme.

The programme at The John Fisher School would not have been possible without the generous support of the Jack Petchey Foundation; the incredible teachers – especially Lead teacher Mr Souici; and of course the representatives from the many charities chosen by year nine this year.