NCS participants get green-fingered at Sandall Park.

11 young people from Club Doncaster Sports College have transformed a local park whilst on NCS (National Citizen Service) this autumn.

As part of the NCS programme, participants plan and deliver a social action project to make a positive change in their local community. The group were keen to refresh Sandall Park, a popular park for local residents, and they got to work by repairing benches, creating hedgehog habitats, and cleaning footpaths and signposts. The volunteering undertaken by the group has come at a good time when local residents may use the park for some escape our exercise during the second national lockdown.

One member of the group, Dylan, said:

“We really enjoyed getting out in the park and working as a team to help clean up, especially with the problems that people are facing with COVID-19 and lack of funds and resources. 

I’ve not really done much gardening before but we were given plenty of guidance, and the NCS staff made the experience really enjoyable. 

It’s definitely something I would want to do again, seeing the park transform after our hard work was a really nice feeling”

The group of teens were able to volunteer having signed up to doing NCS this autumn. NCS provides 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.

Callum Grice, Team Leader at Club Doncaster Foundation worked closely with young people on NCS said;

“It’s fantastic to see young people supporting and helping their community during this challenging time. They have done a great and the park is hopefully more appealing for local residents to visit.

We would like to thank Friends of Sandall Park for partnering with us and allowing our young people to come and help out with this project. Hopefully this will motivate the young people to carry on helping their local community and inspire others to help their communities during this time.”

Sandra Crabtree, Chair of Friends of Sandall Park, said:

“The NCS participants have done an amazing amount of work in the two days they spent in the park.

It was a pleasure to work with them. They were committed, hardworking, all there earlier than requested and didn’t even want a full dinner break, they were so keen were they to get on with the jobs.

The team dynamics were excellent and it showed in the way they performed the tasks. A sense of responsibility was displayed in relation to COVID-19 restrictions, and all had masks at the ready.

 The participants all showed professionalism and were a credit to Club Doncaster Foundation, and to their parents. Thank you for choosing Sandall Park to volunteer.”

Club Doncaster Foundation are part of EFL Trust’s network of NCS delivery partners who, despite the COVID-19 pandemic, are supporting thousands of young people this Autumn through NCS. To find out more about NCS this autumn visit wearencs.com.

Here is another park that another team from Doncaster has been working on!

https://twitter.com/ClubDFoundation/status/1323663977226948610