Tonyrefail’s Ongoing Impact: A School Community Rooted in Giving

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 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 prepare engaging and creative presentations that they showcase at their school’s First Give Final, an exciting celebration at the end of their programme where the year group competes in their classes to secure a £1,000 First Give grant on behalf of their class charity.

This was Tonyrefail’s fourth First Give Final. As the final fell on Valentine’s Day, the year group created a wonderful setting with a well-laid judging table covered with roses, a huge display of the fantastic social action they undertook, and handmade posters to support all this year’s chosen charities. Catherine Drew, the lead teacher this academic year, described the final as “an opportunity for students to learn how to welcome guests into a school community.” Many of the chosen charities supported the event, including Myfi, a therapy dog from Brynawel Rehab, whom the class had become very fond of during their time collaborating with the charity.

All the groups delivered strong and creative presentations, with the support of their classmates cheering them on in the audience. After much deliberation, the winning charity of the First Give £1,000 was Platfform, a charity that works with people who are experiencing challenges with their mental health and with communities who want to create a greater sense of connection, ownership, and well-being in the places where they live.

Platfform’s Service Manager, Andrew, commented: “It was an amazing morning, and the enthusiasm the class had engaging with us was quite emotional, but in a really positive way. We’re so very grateful and in awe of their enthusiasm in choosing us for the prize, wanting to not only win the prize money but to promote awareness of what we all do in RCT. We cannot thank 8ESK enough!”

Their journey together didn’t end there, with Andrew and Olivia (Senior Case Worker) revisiting 8ESK to hear how the students felt the nearly £1,500 (including the amount raised from their social action efforts) should be spent. They also plan to continue building the relationship with students at TCS to strengthen local connections and raise further awareness of their work in the area. It’s clear that the students are keen to continue their professional relationship with Platfform.

In a newsletter to parents and carers, Headteacher Mr Gareth Pope said;

Our First Give Finals prove to me that as a school we have an incredible response to raising awareness and money for local charities. Huge congratulations and well done to all of Year 8. Their acts of charity and sense of community are incredible, and they should be very proud of themselves.

We’re incredibly proud of our ongoing partnership with Tonyrefail Community School and cannot wait to see what 2025/26 has in store for them!