Young people bounce back and raise over £1,000 for causes in their local community
As with many young people, the past year has been challenging, however Year 11 students from George Pindar School in Scarborough have come together through the NCS programme to raise over £1,000 and support other causes in their community.
The 73 young people participated in a unique NCS programme, delivered by North Yorkshire Business & Education Partnership (NYBEP) and the EFL Trust, that was packed with activities & opportunities to make a positive impact in their local community. With the young people feeling the effects of the global pandemic, this specialised NCS programme aimed to develop the group’s confidence and life skills, build up their resilience through a series of workshops and volunteering work and conclude with the delivery of an impressive 7 social action projects.
The social action projects, planned and delivered by the young people themselves included: re-vamping a youth-activity space at the YMCA, creating a garden area in their school, making care packages for local care home residents, fundraising for Candlelighters, Westway Open Arms community hub & school funds; all of which amounted to over £1,000 raised to support local communities.
“The NCS programme has surpassed my wildest expectations.” said Lesley Welsh, school principal.
Lesley continued,
“The programme offered entirely the right balance of fun and volunteering. In such a short period of time, I saw students blossom and develop life skills which they will take with them into their next steps and future careers.”
The experiences afforded to the young people as a product of the programme were immensely valuable to the development of each young person as an individual but also as a collective unit. So much so, that several students featured on BBC Radio York as representatives of the local area.
“I have enjoyed my NCS experience, as it has given me opportunities that I didn’t expect I would have at this age” said Lucy, 16.
This was affirmed by Megan, also 16: “This programme has been valuable to me, I have worked with people I would never normally have worked with. My confidence and self-worth has really grown and I feel more independent.”
This summer, thousands of young people are set to take part in the NCS programme through the EFL Trust’s network. In two weeks they will mix with new people from different backgrounds, pick up some invaluable life skills and get the confidence and self-belief to reach their potential.
To find out more visit wearencs.com.
