Young people from all over the North West are preparing to head out on the Summer of a life-time with National Citizen Service. Approximately 2500 teenagers will be on the programme, with over 750 from Cumbria alone.
Delivered by Inspira, and now in it’s fourth year, NCS has been designed to help 16 and 17 year olds develop the skills they need for life and work. The programme is run over three weeks, two of which are residential, plus 30hours volunteering in their local community.
The first eighteen teams of twelve young people from Cumbria start today (Monday 30th June). They will spend a residential week at Ullswater, Howtown or Aberdovy Outward Bound centres, climbing mountains, camping out over night and learning how to overcome challenges and team building experiences. In week two the teenagers will find out about business and work with local organisations and employers. They will also find out about their local communities and identify ways in which they can contribute to their community such as raising money for local charities.
For the following six weeks more teams will set off every Monday.
“NCS is a great opportunity for young people,” said Dave Todd, Inspira’s NCS Contract Manager. “There are a few place left so get in touch and we can tell you all about it.”
Last Summer’s NCS survey revealed that 92% of the young people felt they had the chance to develop skills which will be useful to them in the future – while 98.5% would recommend NCS to other young people.
Visit www.ncsyes.co.uk or call 01931 711300 for more information. Check out Facebook NCSNorthWest to read about people’s experiences.
Background to NCS
National Citizen Service (NCS) is a once–in-a-lifetime opportunity for 15 to 17 year olds across England and Northern Ireland.
In the Summer it is a unique three week full-time programme focused around fun and discovery, plus 30 hours committed to a community project that benefits both young people and society. On the government backed programme, participants build skills for work and life, while taking on new challenges and adventures, making new friends, learning new skills and contributing to their community. Government backing means that it costs just £35 to take part in NCS, with bursaries available on a case by case basis. Extra support is provided for young people with additional needs.
Taking place outside term time, teens can sign up for the part residential experience, programmes also run in spring and autumn. In every programme they will experience four sections that focus on personal and social development including leadership, teamwork and communication skills.
Established in 2011, this summer will see the 100,000th young person take part in the fastest growing youth movement in the UK. It is the vision of NCS to have one million graduates by 2020.
