🎉 Gowerton’s 8T Win Big for Matthew’s House! 🎉
Winners of First Give 2025 – with a £1,000 boost for hope and hospitality!
We are absolutely thrilled to share that Class 8T from Gowerton Comprehensive have been crowned First Give champions for 2025, winning a £1,000 grant for Matthew’s House — and our hearts in the process!
The First Give programme empowers young people to engage in meaningful social action by supporting a charity of their choice — and we were chuffed when Class 8T chose us.
Earlier this term, Becci and Thom visited the class to talk about the heart behind Matthew’s House, what it means to offer hospitality and hope in the heart of Swansea, and how young people can make a real difference. The students took it from there and ran with it!
They:
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Raised over £300 through creative fundraising efforts
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Collected a van-load of food and donations
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Shared our story across the school and online
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Even added our Hope in Swansea app to the school website to help others find support
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And finally, delivered a powerful presentation in front of the whole year group
And they won. 🙌
Becci was there for the final presentation and said:
“I was honestly blown away by the effort, passion, and care these students showed. Class 8T not only represented Matthew’s House — they embodied it. Their hearts were fully in it and they should be so proud.”
The £1,000 grant, which will be processed this July, will go straight back into local impact — helping to replenish our food stocks during the difficult summer months and contribute towards installing a new electric vehicle charging point to keep our donation and support van on the road.
💛 A Message to 8T:
Thank you. You’ve done something amazing. You’ve shown that with a little creativity and a lot of heart, young people can drive real, lasting change in their communities.
You’re not just students — you’re heroes of hope.
We’ll be sending a special thank you to you all very soon, but for now — from the whole team at Matthew’s House:
We’re proud of you. We’re grateful. And we’ll never forget what you’ve done.