by First Give
Student Writing Competition- Our Third-Place Entry
Congratulations to Keira a Year 7 student from Leeds West Academy who has been awarded third-place!
In the first ever First Give Student Writing Competition, young people across our partner schools were invited to reflect on the social issues that matter to them and to celebrate the charities they supported through the First Give Programme. Our third-place prize recognises a young writer who brought empathy, clarity, and heart to their reflection, and this year, that student is Keira from Leeds West Academy.
Keira, who was in Year 7 when she completed the programme, chose to write about Yorkshire Cancer Community, inspired by her class’s work with the charity and their visit from Dr Stewart Manning, its Chairman and a dedicated Cancer Champion. Speaking to us about the importance of engaging young people, Dr Manning emphasised how vital it is to “pass the message on,” helping the next generation understand the value of community action and communication. He shared his belief that volunteering is an activity where “you get back far more than you put into it”, and that even a single conversation can spark change: “If it changes one person’s way of thinking, great”.
Drawing on his own experiences, Dr Manning shared with us his own experiences of charity engagement, reflecting on values instilled by his own father – “you should never walk past a fundraising bucket without contributing!” – as well as his route into becoming a Cancer Champion, sharing his personal experiences with cancer, and supporting others, too. Dr Manning draws on a favourite quote: “one person can’t change the world, but anyone can change the world for one person” reflecting on how meaningful it is to see young people stepping up for their communities. He recognised the First Give Programme as a place where those values begin to take root.
Keira’s writing captures these themes with sensitivity, shining a light on the humanity of Yorkshire Cancer Community’s work and the impact of hearing from someone who lives its mission every day
You can read Keira’s entry here:
Congratulations again to Keira for such a thoughtful and sensitive piece of writing. We will reveal the second-place prize entry tomorrow!