What is NCS?
NCS stands for National Citizen Service and is for teens 16 and 17 years old across England and Northern Ireland. This amazing opportunity costing a maximum of £50 gives young people of all backgrounds the opportunity to meet new people, develop skills; build confidence and self-belief, whilst living away from home. NCS is a 3-4 week experience which takes the young people on a progressive journey where they are handed over more responsibility as the programme advances; developing leadership skills necessary to succeed in the workplace.
The NCS programme has been established to help build a more cohesive, mobile and engaged society. If young people are given the right tools, opportunities and respect they will change the world around them. NCS ensures that everyone has this opportunity, building a generation who see themselves not as passengers in society, but as drivers. At a time of huge political uncertainty, where division is more evident than togetherness, NCS is a powerful tool to ensure the next generation see more in their similarities than differences. To make this a possibility for all it is backed by the government who invest more than 1,000 per place; meaning that it costs a maximum of £50 per young person (this includes all their food, accommodation and activities). There’s even bursaries if that is too expensive! This means that no matter what their background teens can access these amazing residential activities and learning leadership skills. Almost 400,000 young people have taken part so far with more than seven million hours of community action have been completed.
NCS has four stages:
- Adventure: The Teens will get to challenge themselves by living away from home in an outdoor activity centre. They will be in a group of 12-15 people who they’ve never met before and each will change each other’s lives. They will face some adrenaline-fuelled challenges like rock climbing, canoeing, hiking, zip wiring, and archery. They will be able to face any fears they have and overcome them.
- Discovery: Teens will get to discover and develop their life skills like confidence, leadership and communication to boost their CV and/or UCAS personal statement. This may also be the time that they discover that they have a hidden passion!
- Social Action: Within their team the teens will have the power to make the difference in the world with their Social Action Plan – including planning and fund raising.
- Celebration: And this is only just the beginning with exclusive access to potential volunteering opportunities and apprenticeships; as well as amazing discounts and big events! Once an NCSer, always an NCSer.
The NCS course takes places outside of term time in the spring, summer and autumn holidays. There are even breaks in between so teens can still go on that family holiday, to a festival, or just to veg out on computer games/watching the telly. NCS lowers anxiety and boosts resilience. With over 8 in 10 teens keeping in touch with someone they met at NCS.
For the summer course they will live away from home on a 5 day residential in week 1. In week 2 they will experience independent living (typically in university campus dorms or halls) and weeks 3 and 4 they will return to the local area to give something back. The spring and autumn courses are shorter with only 3 residential nights and the rest spent at home.
NCS is delivered DBS checked staff who are trained to work with young people. NCS partners with charities, college consortia, as well as VCSE (Voluntary, Community, Social Enterprise) and private sector.
How to apply for NCS 2018
This year more than 100,000 teenagers from different backgrounds will come together in common purpose on NCS. That means one in six of the cohort of 16 year olds will live together, develop skills together and build community projects together.
There are still places available for Year 11s to take part in this once in a lifetime opportunity this summer and remember dates are flexible around your needs: Sign up online
It takes less time than making a cup of tea!
Either the young person or their parent/carer can sign up with a name, address, date of birth and e-mail address.
This is a commissioned post. However I can see that this is a really good idea for teens and will be talking to mine about whether he would like to participate.