First Give One Day has been developed in collaboration with teachers and students to ensure as many young people as possible benefit from First Give programmes.
In developing the programme, we have applied our approach and our learning from our 10 years of experience working with schools. We do all the planning and preparation for your drop-down day. Your teachers and students will be guided expertly through the day, culminating in a celebration of the positive impact that students have made.
Fully supported by the First Give team.
Our Programmes team will support the planning and logistics of the day, ensuring your teaching team are fully briefed and comfortableFully resourced.
Every part of the day is resourced with appropriate slide decks, a Student Coursebook, session plans and other quality resourcesFacilitator support on the day.
Two of our freelance facilitators will lead and guide your teachers and students through the day
How It Works
When you book your day, our Programmes team will support you through the planning process. You’ll let us know the year group, the number of students and the date, and we’ll plan the day to fit with your timetable. We’ll start by exploring what social issues you and your students would like to focus on. Then we will prepare the day, ensuring we invite relevant charity representatives to speak with your students, and have resources ready to go.
Programme impact
100%
of teachers felt the programme provided an important learning opportunity
90%
of students felt they and their cohort made a real difference to visiting charities
94%
of teachers would recommend First Give One Day to other schools
94%
of students said they improved in at least one of the key skill areas
1,941
Number of participating students in our first year of delivery (2024/5)
93%
of students enjoyed the day
How Students Support Charities
All First Give programmes support students to learn about social issues in their community. At every First Give One Day programme, students will meet representatives from local charities, learning about their mission, impact and careers. They will explore what it means to give time, money and skills to causes they believe in; and gain hands-on insight to running a charity, developing key skills. Students are then asked to reflect on what they’ve learnt and donate £5 to the charity or charities of their choice (Donations covered by First Give).
The First Give One Day Package
Your school contributes £900 to run First Give One Day. In return, you get:
All the resources you need to deliver the programme:
- Full session plans and activity resources
- Click and play PowerPoint slide decks
- A hard copy Coursebook for every student in the year group
- Student Charity Ambassador Certificates
The support of two facilitators in school to deliver:
- A briefing for your teaching team
- A Launch Assembly
- Coordination of the day
- A Celebration Assembly to end the day
And full support from a member of the First Give Programmes team who will be available from the moment you sign up
A total of £1,000 in grant money for charities.
Your students will allocate a total amount of c. £1,000 through small, individual donations to the charities who attend the day. This grant money is provided by First Give for every participating school.
First Give is an important part of our approach to the Curriculum for Wales. We are very proud of this work and appreciate the partnership we have with First Give
I was proud that I donated to charities and helped people in need - it feels good to know I made a difference, even if it's small
The students gained a lot from the day. They learnt resilience and how to be compassionate, giving and thoughtful about their communities
The end of this day really emphasised the reason why charities do the work they do, and the significance of helping people in need
[First Give One Day] provides a well-structured approach to empathy. The resources and support offered are exceptional...participants gain valuable insights and develop skills that are not only practical but impactful in the long term
How students support charities
If you’re from a charity, you can find out more about how students support charities through First Give programmes here.
Learn more
Learn moreHow it works – The First Give programme
Our flagship programme has been delivered in schools across England and Wales since 2014. The programme invites young people to reflect on the social issues that affect their local community and inspires them to take action.
Learn more
Learn more