9Pe1 First Give Programme

At Trinity Year 9 students are taking part in a First Give charity programme in their PHSE lessons. Through the programme students, identify local social issues that they care about and then learn how charities support them. Students subsequently complete meaningful social action in support of their charity or their charity’s cause. The tutor groups will then be competing in a School Final, where one class from the year group will win an additional £1,000 First Give grant for their chosen charity. 

9Pe1 have chosen Fair Close Centre in Newbury, which provides fun, food, and friendship for over the 65’s in West Berkshire. If we win, Fair Close will use the Grant for their new Dementia Respite Centre. This will provide a break for the caregivers of people with dementia.

To complete their social action, students in 9Pe1 visited Fair Close on 12th November. During the visit they spoke to members of the Centre, they also served and shared lunch. After lunch, each student paired up with a member and played bingo - some students even called the numbers out!  Students have also collected donations from the school community and will deliver these to the Centre so they can be used as Bingo prizes.  On 3rd December they will visit again, this time running a craft activity where the students will help members with a decoupage project creating a faux stained glass look on jam jars. 

In addition to this, and from talking with members previously, students noted that many of them spoke about feeling lonely. This got the group thinking about Christmas, so each member of the tutor group will be writing a Christmas card that will be given out so that everyone receives a card.

The students have thoroughly enjoyed visiting the Centre - Izzy said ‘It’s been really interesting hearing about the lives of the members and volunteering there. We hope to continue our link with the charity in the future and support them where possible’.

If you know of anyone over 65 who would enjoy the wide range of services Fair Close offers such as, fun activities and entertainment, exercise classes, tasty hot meals, hairdressing, foot health, minibus transport and more, please visit the website below.

https://www.fairclosecentre.org