Congratulations to Aksharaa, second place entry of our Student Writing Competition!

Aksharaa Balachandran, Wallington High School for Girls, came second in this year’s student story competition with a magazine exploring how helping her community changed her, too.

Students who completed the First Give programme in the last academic year (2025-26) were invited to take part in our Student Story Competition, which is now in its third year of running. The story competition exists to allow young people to consolidate their experiences, reflect on their personal growth and learning, and share the impact that the First Give programme has had on them. 

Now in Year 11, Aksharaa looks back on taking part in First Give last year through her magazine, “The Journey That Changed Me”. It explores how concern for her community grew into a belief that young people can make a difference. Her account also reflects on what she took away from the experience: confidence that reaches beyond the programme and into the future. 

After learning that people in their community were struggling to afford enough food, Aksharaa and her classmates decided to take action by supporting Sutton Foodbank, which provides emergency food parcels and practical support to people facing crisis.

We wanted to help because no one should have to worry about their next meal.”

Read Aksharaa’s entry here:

The Journey That Changed Me

Aksharaa Balachandran

The Reality I Couldn’t Ignore

Hunger is not a problem. It is an Obscenity.

Our Charity Choice

Food insecurity is a global issue that affects millions of people every single day. It isn’t just something that happens far away – it impacts people in our own community, quietly and often invisibly. That’s why our class chose to support Sutton Food Bank, a charity that provides emergency food parcels and support to people facing crisis.

We wanted to help because no one should have to worry about their next meal. Sutton Food Bank does more than give food – it offers dignity, hope, and a lifeline during difficult times. Supporting them meant supporting people in our community who needed help, and that made our project genuinely meaningful.

What We Did to Make A Difference

We didn’t want our anger to stay just as an emotion – we wanted action. As a class, we hosted a Year 7 Interhouse Food Drive. What made it powerful wasn’t just the vast number of donations we received, but the way students began to acknowledge the real struggles people in our community were.

The competition between the 7 houses didn’t just make it fun, it pushed everyone to give more, try harder, and care deeper. Every tin, sanitary packet, and packet felt like a small step towards easing someone’s struggle.

Delivering Our Donations

A Part of Me That Changed

First Give taught me valuable life skills that I know will stay with me far beyond this project. Whether it be from communicating clearly by encouraging students to donate, to working as a part of a team by dividing tasks and supporting one another, to staying organised under pressure when donations flooded in faster than we imagined, this project helped me grow in ways I didn’t expect.

However, a part of me that First Give changed the most, was my confidence. Before my journey with First Give, I was scared to ask questions – worried I’d say the wrong thing or look unsure.

When our Sutton Food Bank representative came in to speak to us, something shifted. The curiosity that First Give had sparked in me, pushed me to step out of my comfort zone. I found myself asking questions, wanting to understand more, wanting to know the best possible way my class and I could help. That moment showed me that confidence isn’t something you wait for – it’s something you build by caring enough to speak up.

Overcoming Challenges

This project wasn’t always easy. One of the biggest challenges we faced was getting students to understand why donating mattered. At first, some students only saw it as a competition a chance for their house to win, rather than an opportunity to support families in need. Encouraging them to see the bigger picture took real effort. We spoke to students directly, explaining why Sutton Food Bank mattered and how every single item could help a family in crisis.

From First Give, I built the confidence to take initative and speak to students one-on-one. Instead of waiting for people to get involved, I went to them and explained the importance of the food bank and helped them understand the impact their donations could have. I also used the creativity First Give ignited in me to turn the competitive energy into something positive – transforming the ‘house competition’ mindset into motivation to help people in need. Slowly, students began donating not just to win, but because they understood the purpose behind what we were doing.

In A Nutshell

Despite the challenges we faced along the way, my class ended up winning the £1000 for Sutton Food Bank – and the moment we found out was unforgettable. There was this quiet second where we all looked at each other and realised: we actually achieved it! The  room lit up with smiles. People were hugging, laughing and celebrating not just the win, but what it really meant.

Through this project, I learned courage, empathy, responsibility, and the power of using my voice. I discovered that small actions can create big change, and that when we work together we can make a real impact in our community.

This magazine is more than a record of what we did – it’s a reflection of how this journey shaped me and how it will stay with me long into the future.