Pupils from Chace Community School competed to win £1,000 for a local charity of their choice

The winning students donate the £1,000 prize to Nightingale Cancer Support Centre (pictured with Feryal Clark MP, right)

Pupils at an Enfield school have been praised by their local MP for their “energy, empathy, and determination” to raise awareness of local charities and good causes.

The year nine pupils from Chace Community School took part in a programme with national youth charity First Give which culminated in a final event – supported by the Jack Petchey Foundation – where they competed to win a £1,000 prize for their chosen charity.

Prior to that the different groups undertook activities including bake sales, raffles, quizzes, charity football matches and poetry performances to both raise awareness and funds for their chosen charities.

Enfield North MP Feryal Clark joined headteacher Tanya Douglas along with First Give’s chair of trustees, Daryl Fielding, plus one of the school’s head students, on the panel of judges.

Students from class 9GSU were inspired by the story of a member of their form group, who had recovered from cancer as a child themselves, to support Nightingale Cancer Support Centre. The students raised awareness of the centre’s work and inspired the gathered audience and judges, resulting in them winning the £1,000 grant. A further £300 was raised across the year group for six different charities.

Headteacher Tanya Douglas said: “Taking part in the First Give programme has helped enhance a sense of belonging across the year group. We are so proud of how maturely and sensitively our year nine cohort engaged with complex and challenging social issues affecting our community in Enfield.

“They carried out a range of activities in support of their chosen charities and linked their learning and action to our shared values here at Chace Community School.”

Feryal Clark added: “It was an absolute pleasure to serve as a judge at the First Give school final at Chace Community School. Students select a charity close to their hearts, engage in real social action, and present their efforts in a powerful and creative way to the panel of judges. It was a truly inspiring event that showcased the energy, empathy, and determination of our young people in Enfield North.”

“Congratulations to the winning team for their hard work and I was pleased to present a cheque for £1,000 to their chosen charity Nightingale Cancer Support Centre. It’s a charity close to my heart, and my feet are still sore after last week’s Nightingale Night Hike!

“Our community is stronger thanks to young people like these.”

Isaac Jones, First Give director, said: “As of May, over 250,000 young people have made a difference to thousands of charities across England and Wales as part of the First Give programme.

“Time and again they demonstrate how passionate, committed and capable young people are of making a positive difference and helping to tackle some of our most pressing social issues. We are ambitious to partner with more schools across England and Wales, providing the platform for more young people to support the causes they care about.”

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