Organisation Name
NCS National Citizen Service
Employer Name
Úna Mac Dermott
Employer Role
NE coordinator
Employer Email
una.macdermott@children-ne.org.uk
Employer Telephone
(0191) 272 7824

What is on Offer

The National Citizen Service Trust (NCST) is a ‘Royal Charter’ body that offers young people in England a range of life-enhancing experiences. The government, through DCMS, funds NCS programmes. NCST commissions the programmes on offer. NCS programmes are for young people aged 16 and 17, to coincide with their transition to adulthood. (Young people aged 18 to 24 who need additional assistance, i.e. those with an EHCP, are also eligible to participate.) Through engaging in NCS, it is the trust’s aim that young people will: Become both world-ready and work-ready Develop greater confidence, resilience and wellbeing Feel better able to have an impact on the world Have respect and tolerance for difference and diversity

NCS aims to achieve this through experiences that:

• develop life skills and support independent living

• build employability and work-readiness

• provide opportunities for volunteering and social action

• enable social mixing of young people from all backgrounds

NCS delivers a range of experiences through a network of local and youth sector partners to ensure that services are relevant and accessible. It also provides a variety of additional opportunities that are open to a wider range of young people. Young people can choose from 3 types of experience, residential, community-based and online. Community-based experiences ‘Local To You’ are community-based experiences funded by NCS grants and delivered in 2 ways:

1) ‘Open-to-All’ are regular programmes embedded in young people’s local communities.

2) Targeted programmes are innovations and projects to support under-served young people in those communities

‘Open to All’ Programme

In the North East Combined Authority area the Open to All programme is coordinated by Children North East and delivered by established community organisations with a proven track record of working with young people: Blue Sky Trust Durham City Youth Project Delta North Consett Foundation of Light Go The Distance Groundwork NE & Cumbria NU Foundation Our1 Community With additional support to provide a greater variety of experiences to suit all young people provided by: The National Trust Nourish Food School The Enterprise Academy

Grow Your Strengths with NCS The programme, totalling 48 hours, includes preparation, session planning and participation in activities. Young people participate in three focussed ‘experiences’. Grow Your Life Skills - Life skills session, i.e. cooking, first aid, money skills, residential and outdoor education Grow Your Employability - CV writing and interview skills, workplace visits and taster sessions, enterprise and entrepreneur workshops. Grow Your Community - Identifying local issues important to young people, exploring social action and volunteering.

For more information about NCS ‘Open to All’ Community Experiences in the North East CA area and how to get involved in opportunities local to you, please contact: Una Mac Dermott (NCS Project Coordinator) who would be pleased to put you in touch with one of our local delivery partners. Úna Mac Dermott Project Coordinator - Communities Team (0191) 272 7824 07940 392 859 una.macdermott@children-ne.org.uk