Chalfonts Community College brings First Give to life through creative and community-minded social action

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 prepare 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.

Chalfonts Community College embarked on their First Give journey this year, implementing the programme into their curriculum for the first time. Lead teacher Caterina saw it as the perfect way to instil a sense of community and social responsibility in their Year 8 students. For many, it was an opportunity to connect with their local community and engage with social issues they were passionate about.

Caterina felt that participating in the First Give programme gave students a meaningful and natural way to contribute to their society. She reflected, “I wanted to introduce something to remind our students that we are part of a community – as our school’s name suggests… Having worked with First Give in my previous school a number of years ago, I thought this would be a great way of incorporating the community element.” Caterina championed the values of First Give within the school, and her commitment and passion played an essential role in the success of the programme.

A successful First Give programme relies on collaboration between teachers, students, and the charities themselves. At Chalfonts, students were eager to build personal connections with the charities they had chosen to support. They showed real dedication to learning more about their causes so they could represent them authentically and passionately in the final competition.

Teachers at Chalfonts played a key role in supporting this, helping to organise charity meetings — whether in person or virtual — to ensure every student had the chance engage directly with their charity. It was a powerful reminder of what can happen when young people feel truly connected to their community.

One standout social action organised by the Year 8 students was a movie night featuring the film UP. The students chose this movie thoughtfully because it explores loneliness in the older generation, connecting perfectly with the cause they were supporting, BOPA (Bucks Older People’s Action Group). They wanted to create a fun and exciting event that the whole school could enjoy while raising both money and awareness. It was a heartwarming mix of laughter, community spirit, and youth-led kindness.

The programme really helped students push their boundaries and develop new skills. “Some of the students did things they never imagined they could do, like standing up in front of the whole year group to present. It’s given many of them a new sense of confidence,” Caterina shared. From organising fundraising events to delivering confident presentations, they grew in both empathy and ability — discovering just how much of a difference they could make in their community. In total, students raised over £822 for their chosen causes, alongside significant awareness-raising efforts across the school and wider community.

This year’s winning Year 8 team chose to support Forever Colours Children’s Hospice, a cause that resonated deeply with the students. They showed a strong understanding of the charity’s mission and conveyed their passion and commitment with maturity and heart during their presentation. The judges were particularly impressed by the team’s personal connection to the cause and their dedication throughout the programme.

Congratulations to everyone at Chalfonts Community College for such a successful and energetic debut First Give programme, we’re delighted to be working with you again in 2025/26!