Young People show resilience and kindness on NCS this autumn

Despite the challenging times, over 4,800 young people, aged 16 and 17, on NCS with the EFL Trust have dedicated around 100,000 hours of social action this autumn to make a positive difference in their communities.

The EFL Trust’s network of Delivery Partners have provided young people with the opportunity to learn news skills, make long-lasting friendships and develop a better understanding of their local community.

Young people on NCS  have really stepped up the challenge by helping the most vulnerable  in their communities by help tackle loneliness, raise awareness of charities that are most in need, or even rejuvenated gardens or public spaces so more people can enjoy them. The breadth and depth of social action projects undertaken will have benefited thousands of people this year.

Rachael Garrod, 16, from Sunderland was one such person that made a difference on NCS this autumn with Foundation of Light (Sunderland FC). She said:

“NCS is amazing. It has helped me to grow as a person and I have become more confident and hard-working due to NCS. I first joined because it would look good on my CV, but doing NCS is an opportunity I will never forget it and I recommend it to everyone.”

Rachael was amongst a group of green-fingered young people that that made ‘Positive Pot Plants’ for residents at Gildacre Care Home. The young people planted flowers for the benefit of isolating residents, whilst also donating a plant to the family of a local police officer who sadly died from COVID-19.

Like Rachael, other young people across the country have spent their time on NCS making a difference:

• Young people from the Palace for Life Foundation’s NCS programme in South London worked with the London Wildlife Trust, providing them support with nature conversation and protecting the precious green space in South London. Many of the young people including Chloe want to continue volunteering at London Wildlife Trust. Read more here. 
  

  She said: “I tried things I never thought I would, such as chopping down trees. I want to do this again in the future and spend more time helping the London Wildlife Trust.”
  

  

• Young people from North Yorkshire created and distributed 20 shoebox packages for a local youth homeless charity, SASH. There shoebox packages included toiletries, gloves, socks, books, handwritten letters and a copy of a ‘help map’. The group created the help map to sign post homeless youths to places they could get help and food.
  

  Jenna Goodridge, Community Fundraiser from SASH said: “SASH work with young local people facing homelessness and it means the world to them and the young people to have NCS teams working with, supporting and donating to their cause”.

• Dylan, 16 from Doncaster, and his team repaired benches, created hedgehog habitats, and cleaned footpaths and signposts at Sandall Park, a popular park for local residents. 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. Read more here. 
  

  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.”

• Stephanie Peel, Activities Co-ordinator at a care home in Stoke was delighted when the young people from Stoke City Community Trust’s NCS programme wrote letters, prepared boxes of treats and provided virtual entertainment to her residents.
  

  She said: “I personally feel the projects that NCS provide for the young adults is outstanding, it makes such a huge difference to them and the people they choose to help. Watching my residents who all have dementia, interact with the young adults really is something special.”

  

• Feeling strongly about the knife crime issue in Sheffield, young people on NCS with Element Society set to make a difference. Firstly they raised awareness of the only knife drop box in South Yorkshire. Secondly they developed an educational presentation for schools to use to educate other young people of knife crime and the location of the knife drop box.
  

  Sahal Barre is an ambassador of Big Brother Project said: “People just didn’t know about the knife drop box so it’s great that young people on NCS want to help make people aware of it.”

In 2020, the EFL Trust and its network of Delivery Partners have engaged over 15,000 young people through NCS, giving them an opportunity to make up for lost time by building skills and resilience whilst also being a driving force for change in their community.

For more information on NCS, please visit wearencs.com.