Schools & Colleges Awarded at NCS Champion Schools Event

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60 schools and colleges from South Yorkshire and Humber have been recognised for their outstanding contribution to the National Citizen Service (NCS).

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Young People from NCS Help Remember

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Last weekend on the 100th anniversary of the end of the First World War, 7 young people from Yorkshire and Humberside represented their generation and helped the country remember at the National Remembrance Service in London.

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Teens ‘Kickstart’ to be Leaders

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15 teenagers from South Yorkshire and Humberside were selected from thousands of applicants to take part in a special programme that will help them develop into leaders of the future. Read more

Free Bus travel helps thousands of teens on NCS

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Thousands of young people from across South Yorkshire have benefited from free bus travel when taking part in the National Citizen Service (NCS) programme thanks to First South Yorkshire.

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Teens on NCS revamp garden at local hospital

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Young people from Hull aged 15 to 17 have been rolling up their sleeves at an East Yorkshire hospital to help improve the surroundings for patients, staff and visitors alike. Read more

Sheffield Teens make difference on NCS

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A group of teens from Sheffield have made a huge difference to their community by renovating a local community centre whilst on NCS with Sheffield United Community Foundation.

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Teens from Hull look to break the stigma

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In Hull, 15 teenagers that have recently taken part in the National Citizen Service (NCS) programme with Tigers Trust have raised enough money to support 72 people that suffer with mental health.

As part of NCS, a flagship youth programme aimed at 15-17 year olds, participants deliver a social action project that will have a positive impact on their local community.

Due to personal reasons and recognising a national issue, the group of teens from Hull chose to support Mind, a national mental health charity that was recently announced as EFL’s (English Football League) new charity partner.

In the space of a week, the group wanted to raise funds and awareness of mental health. Their week started off with a bucket collection at local shopping centre St Stephens which was also an opportunity to raise awareness of Mind. The group then did a sponsored walk over the Humber Bridge which was chosen as a result of the high suicide rate on the bridge.

In total, the group raised an amazing £720 which will support 72 people in Hull with group support. As a momentum of their week, the group presented Mind with a mural which now sits in the headquarters of the charities offices.

Jasmine Russell, who was a member of the group from Hull, commented on their choice of charity: “We chose Mind due to mental health being very close to many people’s hearts within our group.

“Many of us either suffer from a mental health issue or know someone who does. The aim of our project was to raise awareness and reduce the stigma surrounding mental health as well as raising money through the sponsored walk across the Humber Bridge and the bucket collection in St Stephens.”

Keegan Hoyle, another member of the group, was delighted to be able to support Mind: “I think Mind is a great charity as they offer a wide range of help and advice for people that suffer from mental health which is becoming such a prominent issue in today’s society.”

The group’s hard work was recognised by David Smith, Chief Executive of Mind Hull and East Yorkshire, who wrote a letter of thanks to the youngsters, commending their work in the space of a week.

Thousands of teenagers from Yorkshire and Humber will be taking part in NCS this summer through EFL Trust and will be having a positive impact on their local community.

For further information about NCS visit www.ncsyes.co.uk.

NCS Teens Godsends for homeless charity

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30 teenagers from Hull that have taken part in the National Citizen Service (NCS) with Tigers Trust have been labelled ‘godsends’ by a local homeless charity, Hull Homeless Community Project (HHCP).

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EFL Footballers take on NCS Grads

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Over the next 2 months, footballers from the EFL will be going toe-to-toe with NCS Graduates to take on the YES/NO game and find out more about NCS.

NCS (National Citizen Service) is a flagship government initiative that has provided 400,000 young people aged 16-17 the chance to take on new challenges, experience exciting activities, make long-lasting friendships and develop vital skills that will support them later in life.

The first footballer in the firing line is Rotherham United defender Ben Purrington who met Casey Holmes, a current member of EFL Trust’s Regional Youth board, and NCS Graduate from Rotherham.

Ben said: “It’s been a pleasure to meet Casey and learn more about NCS and her experience. The opportunities that NCS and Rotherham United offer are great for young people and I urge more to get involved.”

Talking about the YES/NO game, Ben continued: “It’s a lot harder than you think, but it was great fun and I did okay!”

The EFL Trust have been delivering the NCS programme since its pilot year in 2011 and now have a network of over 40,000 graduates. Using the power of football, EFL Trust are in a unique position to publicise the work that NCS are doing during the programme and after. Last year, the social media campaign #NCSMatchDay reached over three million people.

On 15th March, NCS Graduate and now professional footballer Louis Jones at Doncaster Rovers will take on fellow NCS Graduate Holly Dennis. To keep up to date, follow #SayYestoNCS.

To get £15* off NCS this Summer, click here.

NCS motivates student to go to University

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The National Citizen Service (NCS) programme has impacted numerous young people’s lives in a positive way but none more than Sheffield Wednesday supporter Cara Harrison.

The bubbly teenager has transformed herself from a shy high school student who was unsure what her next steps would be to being accepted by four universities to study Biomedical Science.

Cara puts her new self-found confidence and belief down to her experiences as an NCS student with the Owls and believes NCS played a crucial role in helping her obtain a place at university.

On Friday, Sheffield Wednesday will be hosting their annual NCS match day when Birmingham City visit Hillsborough, live in front of the Sky cameras.

Cara, who still supports the NCS programme at Sheffield Wednesday Community Programme on a voluntary basis, hopes more people will follow her path and say yes to NCS.

“It is good that clubs participate in NCS match day and important that we spread the word.

“Everyone needs to be clear how much of a positive programme NCS is and how it can help young people.

“The NCS has done a lot for me so I want to carry on helping and raising awareness for the programme.

“I had to step out of my comfort zone when I joined the programme, however it was fun and perfect to do in-between finishing school and starting college.

“The NCS is something that everyone should be doing and I have so many lifetime fond memories from my time on the programme. Because of the NCS, I have met some good friends now and I wouldn’t have met them if I didn’t join.

“My confidence instantly boosted and my communication skills improved. I can now talk in front of a crowd of people I don’t know and feel good about it whereas I didn’t before NCS.

“The NCS has taught me independence and responsibility. It will be always something I look back on fondly.”

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Cara will this year be an NCS mentor for Sheffield Wednesday before heading off to university in September, with her destination of study yet to be decided.

She continued: “I want to be a genetic health scientist now and the NCS swayed my decision. I knew I wanted to do that degree, but I didn’t realise how many good opportunities were at the end of it.

“I remember writing my University application and it heavily referenced the NCS and my experiences. There was so much to write about the NCS because the opportunities are endless.”

The National Citizen Service (NCS) programme has a proven success rate of helping 15-17 year olds build their confidence levels and develop important life skills. It is a chance for teens to shake things up and develop new skills for whatever post-GCSE life has to throw at them. It changes how teens see the world and has a huge impact on communities across the UK with over 1.9 million hours of social action taking place across the country – the equivalent to building 74 Olympic Stadiums and 1 The Great Wall of China.

To find out how you can get involved in the NCS programme visit – https://www.ncsefltrust.co.uk/