London Youth awarded NCS grant for delivery of experiences to help local teens become ‘world ready and work ready’
23 August 2023
At London Youth, we are excited to announce a new community experience programme funded by NCS (National Citizen Service) that will support young people across the capital.
The grant is part of a significant £20m funding package that NCS Trust has awarded to organisations across England for the delivery of community-based experiences at a local and grassroots level.
These new experiences will complement NCS’s existing away from home residential offer by providing more opportunities for teenagers to engage in local activities that foster skills development, deepen their understanding of the community, and empower them to contribute positively to its improvement. The grants will also support organisations that cater to specific groups of young people who may not have participated in previous NCS initiatives.
In collaboration with the National Youth Agency and StreetGames, NCS assessed more than 400 applications, and London Youth was selected as one of around 100 organisations to receive funding.
The programme will kick off in Summer 2023 with 40+ London-based youth and community organisations delivering fun and engaging positive activities such as football, dance, water sports, and creative arts and crafts to young people aged 16 and 17. Once they have found their feet, the young people will engage in three phases of NCS experiences. The phases are focused on essential life skills and independent living; youth-led social action, aimed to build and improve community cohesion; and employability workshops to support workplace readiness. Visit our website to learn more about our partners and where they are delivering their programmes.
Kelly Dummer, Head of Programmes, London Youth, said: “We are really excited to be delivering the NCS programme over the next two years. Working in partnership with over 40 local, grassroots youth and community organisations we are thrilled to be able to provide the much needed financial and capacity building support local organisations need. This will allow them to offer crucial, life changing experiences to develop the essential skills of thousands of underserved young people across the capital.”
Mark Gifford, CEO of NCS Trust, added: “I am delighted to welcome a diverse range of local, grassroots and community organisations from across the youth sector to deliver reimagined NCS experiences. This allows us to reach more young people than ever before, ensuring they are equipped with the skills and perspective to become work ready and world ready.
Gifford added, “Together, we will work towards creating a country of confident, connected, caring citizens where everyone feels at home.”
Over the past decade, more than 800,000 young people have benefitted from an NCS experience, dedicating over 18 million hours to community based social action, while gaining invaluable life experiences.
The programme is open to all 16- and 17-year-old Londoners. To get involved, visit londonyouth.org/ncs
To find out more about NCS, visit wearencs.com
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About NCS (National Citizen Service)
NCS is an experience like no other. Designed for 16-17 year olds, and for young people (aged between 18 and 24) with special educational needs and disabilities, NCS runs year round and offers a range of experiences for young people throughout the year, helping them to have greater confidence, resilience and wellbeing. Teens get the opportunity to mix with a new crowd, learn about independent living, take on new challenges and build friendships.
The programme is all about emboldening young people – by giving them a taste of independence, equipping them with essential life skills, and building work-readiness through volunteering and social action.
NCS participants will benefit from a new residential experience from 2023, which will consist of a five day stay away from home where they will take part in activities that centre around employability, independent living or social action. Young people will have access to digital experiences and will be able to take part in NCS closer to home with regular one-off activities where they can gain new skills, learn more about their local community, and how they can help to improve it.
Since 2009 more than 800,000 young people have benefitted from an NCS experience, completing over 18 million hours of community action, and gaining priceless life experiences.
NCS offers bursaries and support to those who need it most, including families on Universal Credit and young people with special educational needs or disabilities, in line with its commitment to make the life-changing NCS experience available to every young person.
NCS delivers value for money. £3.05 of benefits to society for every £1 spent. During lockdown NCS has had over 1.7 million unique engagements with teens through its ‘Staying Connected’ hub.
About NCS Trust
NCS Trust is an Arm’s Length Body of DCMS incorporated by Royal Charter and established to shape, support, champion and lead a thriving National Citizen Service.
National Citizen Service Trust is registered in England and Wales with Royal Charter Body number RC000894.
To find out more visit wearencs.com