Member of Parliament for Macclesfield, David Rutley, has commended the work being done by the National Citizen Service (NCS) programme in Macclesfield, following his visit to learn more about how the initiative benefits young people.
Held at St Michael’s Church, David met with organisers and the young people taking part, as they planned their social action projects in and around Macclesfield, which included support for East Cheshire Hospice. David was able to see first-hand how the projects were being developed and to ask the group more about how the experience was helping them develop their confidence and skills. He was most impressed by their commitment to the group tasks and the participants’ enthusiasm for the scheme.
NCS is a Government flagship initiative for young people aged 16-17 that runs mainly during the summer holidays. It provides an opportunity for young people to learn the life skills they might not get taught in schools. The programme also seeks to widen social networks, help build stronger social cohesion and help more young men and women become more active and responsible members of society.
Launched in 2011, to date over 130,000 teenagers have taken part in NCS and 3.3 million volunteering hours have been dedicated by NCS graduates across the country to social action projects designed to improve and benefit their local communities. Government participation targets are growing each year, with the intention of increasing this to 60 per cent of 16-17 year olds by the end of 2020.
The first week is spent at an outward bound facility participating in challenging activities such as abseiling, water rafting and canoeing, aiming to take young people outside of their comfort zones and develop teamworking skills. In the second week, they live away from home, typically at local university halls of residence, learning how to be self-sufficient, developing new skills and finding out more about issues in their local community. The final two weeks of the programme see young people spend 60 hours planning and delivering a social action project that makes a difference in their local community.
Speaking following his visit, David said, “It was great to see so many young people taking part in this exciting and engaging programme. NCS is an innovative way for young people to develop their interpersonal and community skills, while also being fun and accessible. I hope that many more young men and women will take advantage of this positive opportunity in the years ahead.”