Specialist College Students Create Pondlife For Local Infant School in Doncaster

16 young people from Doncaster have embraced the opportunity of taking part in NCS with Club Doncaster Foundation. In return, they have volunteered their time at a local infants school to revamp their outdoor area alongside the younger pupils. 

The Harrison College provides education for those with special needs aged 16 – 25 and Principal Gemma Peebles was delighted for them to involved in NCS and embrace the opportunity.

“They have thoroughly enjoyed the experience on NCS and have been able to provide these fun, educational activities for the children.”

Headteacher of Saltersgate Infant School, Mr Lee Bell, has been singing the praises of Harrison College students, who have revamped the outdoor area of the infant School whilst on the NCS programme. Some of the developments made include: ponds inside of tractor tyres, a mud kitchen, a swing, a quiet sensory space and further landscaping for the younger children to enjoy.

“The Harrison College students and NCS participants have been great… we have not only benefited from what they have created but the older students have also been role models for the younger ones.”

Club Doncaster Foundation are the local NCS provider in Doncaster and Tom Foy, Youth Engagement Manager at the Foundation, believes programmes such as NCS are key to the development of young people and the challenges posed by adulthood.

“It’s been such a rewarding experience to see all the challenges their students have overcome during the programme and even more so to prove to themselves that they can do anything when they apply themselves.”  Tom explained.

“It demonstrates that if we continue to keep investing in young people and provide suitable opportunities like NCS they can achieve so much as they transition into adult life.”

Some of the other activities available to the students as part of NCS included: a first aid workshop, outdoor team building exercises at Bawtry Activity Centre such as high ropes, archery, a leap of faith, as well as axe and knife throwing.

As a result of the development of Saltersgate Infant School’s outdoor area, Mr Bell explained that the newfound wildlife has already attracted visitors: 

“We wanted somewhere for the children to go pond-dipping and even though the ponds are just made out of old tyres they are already alive with frogs.”

This summer marks ten years since the EFL Trust, the charitable arm of the English Football League (EFL), and NCS partnered to deliver life-changing experiences for young people across the country through the social action scheme. 

The programme, delivered by 64 Delivery Partners, has engaged more than 65,000 teenagers to date and these young people have volunteered over 1.9 million hours to their local communities. The programme is designed to help young people realise their potential, reach their future goals and in-turn, improve local communities through positive social action.