Young people hit the streets of Brighton for an altruistic weekend ‘immersed in giving’

The young volunteers took part in activities such as spending time in homeless shelters, litter-picking on the streets, helping vulnerable people declutter their homes and the Supermarket Challenge, where teams had to budget for a week’s worth of kosher food for a family where money was tight.

Throughout the three-day trip, students also took part in reflective sessions, sharing their thoughts and experiences.

[Missing Credit]Young people participating in a GIFT weekend in Brighton (Credit: GIFT)

Barry Colman, High Schools Manager at GIFT and leader of the Brighton trip, said: "While most teens spend their summer glued to their screens, our Brighton Giving Trip is something totally different. It’s three days of immersive kindness, handing out care packages to the homeless, helping others, and discovering that giving can actually be the most fun and meaningful way to spend your holiday.

"Seeing these kids choose to spend their time this way is a real privilege and genuinely one of the highlights of my year.”

GIFT began in 2004 by distributing leftover challahs to vulnerable individuals. Davis said: “We matched up the people who needed things most with excess in our community.” But she stressed GIFT’s broader mission. “We invest in people – that helps all other charities. We want to give people opportunities to give. Especially in today’s self-centred generation, giving is so important.”

She said that this summer, more than 600 kids would be involved in giving activities in London, Israel and Manchester through GIFT, and that post-October 7, “when there was a major humanitarian need”, over 1,000 volunteers got involved in GIFT’s Israel appeal.

The charity’s culture of giving starts in Jewish schools. “We have developed courses for schools, delivering more than 1,500 sessions every year,” Davis said. “We teach the fundamentals of giving.”

GIFT has also helped secondary school students launch their own charities through its charity incubator, such as Beyond the Label, an inclusive fashion show, and Green Closet, which use proceeds from second-hand clothing to provide vouchers for people who have never owned new clothes.

Summing up GIFT’s mission, Davis told the JC: “Essentially, we inspire and enable lifelong giving, setting up projects to help the most vulnerable communities.”

With over 90 per cent of the Brighton trip participants expected to continue volunteering with GIFT in their GCSE year, the charity is confident its formula is working.