by First Give
Student Writing Competition- Our Third Place Entry!
Congratulations to Abi, third place entry of our Student Writing Competition!
We’re thrilled to congratulate Abi from Trinity Academy Halifax, who won third place for this year’s student writing competition!
Abi’s story is a reminder that the impact of First Give isn’t only about the grant a charity may receive at the end. For Abi, it was also about discovering her voice, and developing her confidence to speak in public. Through First Give, Abi was able to recognise that she could make a difference. Her school has noticed that change too, with her Head of Year, Mr Bennett, reflecting: “Abi has really come into her own this year, and we’ve all seen it. She’s come on leaps and bounds, and she’s noticeably more confident”.
Abi also came away with an even stronger appreciation of the charities her year group supported. When we spoke, she shared how, with support from charities herself, she has direct experience of how impactful they can be, and she spoke passionately about how much it means to be able to give something back.
“For me, it was never just about winning. It was about shining a light on some really amazing charities doing really amazing things. I like the fact I’ve helped to raise awareness, and younger students have asked me about First Give and the work we did to support charities last year. That recognition I know can go a really long way”.
We asked Abi what skill she is most proud to have developed through her time on the First Give programme, and her response was immediate: “Without a doubt, it’s public speaking. I learned a lot at the presentation skills workshop that we did, and it really helped me to think about how to speak clearly, calmly and in front of a big audience. That skill is with me for life, I’ve always got that now”.
We’re delighted to share Abi’s diary entry, and to give you the chance to see First Give through her eyes.
Abi’s Entry
Dear Diary,
Today is the day of the First Give presentation. I’m really nervous. I really want to make our chosen charity proud, and everyone from the First Give team.
The charity we chose helps so many people, and I really want to do my part and let everyone know about the amazing work they’ve done. Happy Days (the charity my class supported) offer so much help to everyone, whether it be food banks or even places to stay during winter, so people are off the streets. Without the First Give programme, I wouldn’t have even known about Happy Days, or any of the issues which affect our community.
One thing I’m really nervous about is public speaking. As a shy person, I am extremely scared to stand in front of the year 6s, but Happy Days honestly deserve the recognition, so I need to push through for them.
Before we went into the hall to deliver our presentations, we had a workshop again with one of the First Give representatives. This was so helpful, and filled me with so much more confidence and tips on how to stand and project my voice, etc.
We were the last group to present. Watching everyone’s hard work over the past 10 weeks was amazing, and I am so proud of all the work everyone put into their social action plans. When we walked into the middle of the hall, I tried to remember about the ‘roots weights and strings’ activity we were taught, and it worked. When I read my lines, I felt confident, and like I was doing my charity justice. I applied all the things I learnt in the workshop, and I think I did better than I ever could have imagined.
Although Happy Days didn’t win the £1,000 grant, we did win a judges’ commendation! This was a huge success for me and everyone in our team.
Through this programme, I’ve learnt so much about how I can help my community, and I really hope I’ve inspired some of the year 6s to do this when they get to year 10. Even though we didn’t win them the money, I’ve continued the support for them by encouraging donations and telling my family about them. In the future, and when I’m old enough, I would love to be a volunteer there and continue to help them in any way I can.
None off this would have been possible without the amazing work of all the people at First Give. So, to everyone who works there, I want to say: thank you for helping me learn how my words can impact a community, even if it’s just by raising awareness.
This programme has taught me skills for life about public speaking, and more importantly how every individual can make an impact to the society you live in.
I would also like to say one last thank you for all the work Happy Days do for the community and the time they spent coming into school to help us. Also, one final congratulations to everyone who took part. Everyone’s work really showed, and special thank you to everyone in my team I couldn’t have asked for better people to work with.
Congratulations Abi!
Abi’s entry struck a chord with our story competition judges for its warmth, moments of reflection, and clear passion for making a positive difference in the local community. Meeting Abi to speak to her about her entry and deliver her competition prizes (a £20 voucher and a First Give book bag), we spoke further about the impact of the programme on her, and it was clear to see that Abi’s First Give experiences are the start of something more. We can’t wait to see what she does next – well done, Abi!