From the classroom to His Majesty’s Theatre

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.

Class 9DS’s First Give journey at Hall Mead School was driven by a powerful mission: to raise awareness and understanding for Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS). CRPS is a little-known condition that the charity Burning Nights raises awareness for, in addition to supporting those living with the condition, such as Phoebe, a student in the year group.

Phoebe’s lived experience motivated her classmates, who rallied behind the cause with determination and care. As a result, their social action grew from a school-wide campaign to the public stage, culminating in seven students presenting to an audience of 1,200 people at His Majesty’s Theatre. In total, the group raised over £3,500 for Burning Nights, achieving much more than they’d thought possible through the programme.

“What it meant to be a friend”

When 9DS were selecting a charity, student Francesca recognised an opportunity to carry out meaningful social action and unite her class in support of a friend. She approached Head of PSHCE, Mr. John Cashman, and prepared a compelling pitch to introduce her classmates to the issue and why it mattered. The response was overwhelming, and the class voted decisively in favour of supporting Burning Nights, beginning their journey. In Mr. Cashman’s words:

“Francesca immediately saw the potential to do something selfless, to help a life-long friend, struck down with a condition which stopped her coming to school and socialising. Winning the grant was important but not for the sake of winning or the bragging rights, but because of what it really represents. What it means to be a friend.”

“Every person who watched the race, every person who donated to the contest, every person who we spoke to about this social issue, now knows what people with CRPS go through”

With the class charity agreed, the students quickly got to work. Though CRPS affects an estimated 16,000 people in the UK, few at Hall Mead had previously heard of it. Determined to change this, 9DS resolved that their social action needed to be bold, memorable, and impossible to ignore – something that would spark conversation and leave a lasting impression.

Taking a multifaceted approach, the class designed and distributed informative leaflets around school, wore charity badges, and planned two headline events: a fancy dress race and a bug-eating competition. Both events relied on recruiting staff volunteers, which wasn’t without challenge, as Francesca explained: ‘Bug eating makes people step back. It causes a shocking effect. We approached at least 10 teachers, and 5 agreed to take part. So we were facing rejections as well – it wasn’t easy!’

Their commitment paid off. Not only did they raise awareness across the school, but they also gained a deeper understanding themselves – of the condition, of their own ability to make a difference, and of the power of working together. Reflecting on the success of their social action, one student said:

“Before we started campaigning for Burning Nights, I find it staggering that not a single person in our class had a clue what CRPS was, how many people had it, or the work that is going on behind the scenes to help the patients. Now I think it is great that we all understand it and know so much more about it!”

The group shared that many students around school continue to wear their Burning Nights badges proudly, and that conversations about the charity and CRPS are still ongoing. Their efforts culminated in a successful First Give Final, where their presentation earned a £1,000 grant for Burning Nights.

Taking the stage at His Majesty’s Theatre 

Five months later, the students’ journey took them to an even larger stage. Recognised for their fantastic work, they were invited by the Jack Petchey Foundation to present at the charity’s 25th anniversary celebration, held at His Majesty’s Theatre. This opportunity allowed the students to share their experience and raise further funds for Burning Nights.

The seven students – Francesca, Ethan, Polly, Millie, Brooke, Mia and Neave – prepared and proudly delivered a powerful and heartfelt presentation. Mr. Cashman recalled: ‘The last thing I said to them was, “it’s your stage, own it”, and they absolutely nailed it. In 210 seconds, they shared their knowledge and experience with sincerity and love. Every word was delivered with clarity, passion and honesty.’ 

Through these efforts, the students earned an additional £2,500 for Burning Nights, bringing their total to an incredible £3,500 and reaching an audience greater than ever imagined.

‘Once the ball started rolling, it never really stopped.’

Though their First Give journey has come to an end, the students are looking ahead to the future, determined build on what they’ve learned.

‘Over the course of the First Give, we’ve managed to developed lots of skills like making a presentation, writing a speech, presenting ideas, and organising a school event,’ one student shared. ‘If we combine all of those skills that we’ve learnt and all the talents and strengths we have, we would definitely be capable of doing it again on our own.’   

The group also offered their advice to future students taking part in the First Give programme: ‘Build your confidence and don’t be scared to take part!’ said Millie. ‘Many of us were nervous to do it in front of so many people – but by doing it, we all came together as a team really well and we all built our confidence. So I would just say, do not be afraid to do it because you get a great outcome and you’re helping raise awareness for someone.’  

Francesca added: ‘Don’t treat it like another school project. You have a choice to really help people – there is real money that can help people who need it.’

Reflecting on how far they’d come, the students recognised that the programme had sparked something lasting: ‘First Give gave us the initial platform, the first step towards being able to present our ideas, and it gave us a core foundation that we needed to be able to do it. Once the ball started rolling, it never stopped.’ 

Many thanks and congratulations again to the 9DS students, Mr. Cashman, and everyone involved in First Give at Hall Mead School. We also extend our thanks to the Jack Petchey Foundation for their ongoing support. To learn more about Burning Nights, please visit their website linked here.