‘‘I subscribed after hearing this on radio 2, received the first copy for my daughter a couple of days ago, she loves it!’’
Sara-Leigh Cain
Parent
Who we are
First News is the UK’s only newspaper for young people. We were founded in 2006 by Sarah and Steve Thomson with editor Nicky Cox. We have always been independently owned and have no political affiliations.
We now publish both print and digital editions every Friday.
Ten years on, we have over 2m young people nationwide reading First News each week with over half of all UK schools subscribing to our paper.
What we believe
Our fundamental belief is that, if the world is to become a better place, the next generation has to be better informed than the last.
Every day we remember that children are 27% of the world’s population and 100% of the future.
What we do
We create fresh and innovative news content that speaks directly to young people in a voice they can recognize and trust.
Whether it’s in print in our weekly newspaper, in our daily video news bulletin (with Sky), or in our brand new on-line films, we tackle topical and sometimes tricky issues answering questions in an honest but understandable way for our young audience.
First News in Schools
Each week our team of Educational specialists also create a wealth of teaching resources to spark engagement with current affairs. Thousands of schools across the country benefit from the First News reading package, which includes downloadable, differentiated reading activities based on stories in that week’s newspaper.
With the launch of our new BETT award-winning digital literacy product, the iHub, we are bringing a fresh on-line dimension to literacy and learning. We’ve used the latest digital technology to create engaging learning experiences connecting school new and exciting ways that will actively encourage children to want to learn.
We don’t like to brag but…
Over the years we have won numerous awards and accolades, including Best National Newspaper at the Plain English Campaign Media Awards (2011), Best National Weekly Newspaper of the Year (2012) and Niche Market Newspaper of the Year (2012).
With everything we do here at First News, our aim is to open up children’s eyes to the world. We aim to ensure they understand the issues facing them and the news shaping the world they live in.
We want all children to be informed, to have a voice and be heard.
The Environment
First News are committed to ensuring that the wood fibre used to produce our paper comes from reputable sources and well-managed forests, which is why First News is printed on FSC certified paper. We acquire our paper from mills that are ISO 9001 accredited and their chain of custody is certified in accordance with the FSC and the PEFC. Any paper wastage caused by the manufacturing process is recycled.
We package First News in a mixture of compostable wrapper, paper wrapper, cardboard wraps and boxes depending on order size. Our compostable wrapper is made from a material called BIOPLAST®300 which contains waste potatoes left out of the food chain. The wrapper is certified as fully home compostable by TUV which means it can be used to line your food caddy, put in your home compost or go in your green waste bins.* The paper wrapper and cardboard packaging can be fully recycled.
First News also take part in the carbon capture programme supported by the Woodland Trust. The programme captures the CO2 emissions from our paper purchases by planting native woodland in the UK with the aim of providing habitats for wildlife, and green spaces for all to enjoy. First News are committed to reducing our use of single use plastics and lowering our carbon emissions, as part of achieving our Wonderful World Pledge. You can find out more about our First News Wonderful World pledge at first.news/wonderfulworld
*Please check with your local authority for their individual disposal information regarding compostable material.