15th birthday appeal
Everyone has a voice. Help young people find theirs.
Hundreds of young people in low income communities from Hounslow to Hull are transformed each year by participation in First Story’s Young Writers Programme. Our provision nurtures students’ creativity, confidence and writing ability, as well as developing invaluable life skills, cultural experience and aspiration.
First Story offers young people something else. It helps them find a voice. Creative writing can change people’s lives: I’ve seen it happen. It’s more than learning a skill. It’s about learning that you, your family, your culture and your view of the world are rich and interesting and important.
Mark Haddon
Help us raise £15,000 in 2023
Support First Story and you are helping to nurture a new generation of diverse young voices, not always heard. Talented First Story students have performed their work across BBC platforms and at major literary festivals including Lincoln Book Festival and Bradford Literature Festival. Our alumni have won or been shortlisted for the Foyles Young Poets of the Year Award, the John Betjeman Prize, the Muslim Young Writers’ Award, the Wicked Young Writers’ Award and the Christopher Tower Poetry Prize.
Give more young people the opportunity to find their voices and be heard — donate to our appeal today.
With your support, we’ve been changing lives through writing since 2008. Read more about our milestone birthday here.
**UPDATE**
As of July 2023, £9,403 has been donated to our appeal. We’re over half way towards achieving our £15,000 target by the end of our 15th year. Please help us get there by donating what you can today. Thank you.
How your support makes a difference
Lily’s Story
Lily completed the First Story Young Writers Programme at The Dukeries Academy in 2022. Since then she has attended the Summer Residential and was awarded a place on our Folio Mentoring scheme. She was mentored by Diana Evans on developing her poetry and a short novel. She has recently taken a place at Oxford Brookes …
Khaya’s Story
Since completing our Young Writers Programme at Nottingham Academy in 2014, Khaya has created Femme Fatale Gals, an annual magazine and self-empowerment platform for girls and women. She has worked with creative organisations across the region to deliver writing and wellbeing workshops for students, young people and adults. Khaya continues to write stories and songs, …
Daniella’s Story
Daniella, who attends Skinners Academy in London, took part in our 2021-22 Young Writers Programme. She then applied for and won a place on First Story’s summer residential at Arvon Lumb Bank. Daniella has since signed up for First Story’s Young Ambassadors programme and continues to get involved in organising creative writing activities in her …
Cheyenne’s Story
Whilst taking part in the Young Writers Programme at Hull College, Cheyenne entered First Story’s 100 Word Story competition, placing third nationally. After the programme, Cheyenne applied for and won a coveted place on the Rathbones Folio Mentorships scheme in the 2021/22 cohort. Read an extract of Cheyenne’s writing here >
Emily’s Story
Emily took part in the Young Writers Programme during the pandemic, as a sixth form student at Dukeries Academy in Nottingham. In July 2021 she secured one of 16 places on First Story’s summer (virtual) residential writing course. Afterwards she applied successfully to take part in the Rathbones Folio Mentorships scheme during 2021/22. Emily also …
Baran’s Story
After completing the Young Writers Programme during 2021 at Commerce House, a PRU in Haringey, North London, Baran received his GCSE results and enrolled at the College of Haringey, Enfield and North East London. Read Baran’s poem ‘Baran in Wood Green’ >
Habiba’s Story
Habiba studied English Literature and Creative Writing at the University of Huddersfield, where she was Student Ambassador. In 2018 she was selected to attend Penguin Random House’s WriteNowLive event. Since graduating she has held roles at Vintage, Waterstones and the Bradford Literature Festival. Habiba is the Co-Founder of Fox and Windmill Books, an independent publishing …
Priya’s Story
Priya completed the Young Writers Programme in 2019–20 at Landau Forte College in Derby, working with the Writer-in-Residence, Joe Marsh. The following year she was awarded a coveted Rathbone’s Folio Prize Mentorship, working with poet Kathryn Maris. Priya is a poet, a First Story Ambassador and also Derby’s Deputy Youth Mayor. She was commissioned to create …
Weronika’s Story
Weronika completed the First Story Young Writers Programme at John Leggott College in Scunthorpe during the 2019–20 academic year, working with the writer Joe Hakim. She was one of five alums who participated in the prestigious Folio Prize Mentorship programme where she worked with the novelist Nikesh Shukla.
Nidaa’s Story
Nidaa took part in the Young Writers Programme as a student at Nottingham Academy, working with poets Jim Hall and Ioney Smallhorne. Afterwards, she stayed in touch with the First Story group by supporting and mentoring younger students. Nidaa was one of five alumni who participated in the prestigious Rathbones Folio Prize Mentorships programme in …
Alice’s Story
Alice completed First Story Young Writers Programme at Hull College during the 2019–20 academic year having never written creatively for pleasure before. She won a place to attend the virtual summer residential course, alongside fifteen other talented students and is also one of four alums to be picked for the prestigious Rathbones Folio Mentorship. Since …
Aisha’s Story
Aisha took part in the programme at Judgemeadow Community College. She was awarded a fully-funded place to attend Arvon, Lumb Bank in 2019 and continues to write creatively alongside studying.
