National Citizen Service
In 2012 National Citizen Service will give up to 30,000 16-year-olds the chance to learn new skills and get involved in their community.
The scheme will take place in a number of different locations across England. Portsmouth and SE Hampshire EBP (EBP) is one of 29 service providers across the country and has a limited number of places on offer in this area. Places are also offered through Motiv8, Youth Options and Respect.
What is National Citizen Service (NCS)?
If you’re in Year 11, National Citizen Service is an exciting chance to do something different during your summer holiday. Taking part will help you:
- learn new skills
- take on new challenges
- meet new people
- make a real difference to your community and an issue you care about
National Citizen Service will take place during the summer after you finish Year 11. It will run for two weeks full-time, including one week away from home at one of two Outdoor Education Centres on the Isle of Wight: East Dene http://www.allnatt.co.uk/content/venues/east_dene.php and the UK Sailing Academy http://www.uksa.org/schools/youth-groups/course-options/course-options-lead.asp. The second week will be based back in your local community, also on a full-time basis. After that, you’ll need to complete another 30 hours on a Community Action Project .
During the residential week, which commences on Monday, 30 July 2012, you will spend 5 days and 4 nights with your allocated team of 11 other young people, alongside other NCS teams. Working in your teams, you’ll have the chance to take part in exciting outdoor activities. Places are limited at these venues and we will do our best to make sure you have your preferred choice of outdoor experience, although this can’t be guaranteed.
During the second week of your programme, you’ll get the opportunity to find out more about your local area, undertake visits to charities and community groups and to design and deliver your own project in your local community, sometimes called a ‘Social or Community Action Project’. This means you will have the chance to work with other young people to improve the area where you live, benefiting everyone who lives there; fund-raise for your chosen charity or even create an exciting event for other young people to enjoy. The choices are as limited as your imagination – but you must be able to put your ideas into action and work as a team!
You will be expected to spend around 30 hours making your ideas into a reality after the second week.
Why should I get involved in NCS?
Taking part in this programme will give you the opportunity to discover lots of new things about yourself. It can help you to improve your future prospects by learning new skills which can open doors to other exciting opportunities:
- you’ll get to meet a whole host of new people
- it’s an opportunity to improve your self-confidence and do something independently away from your family
- you’ll learn new skills that you can add to your CV, which will impress potential employers and Universities/Colleges
- you can show the positive impact young people can have on their community
How do I find out about becoming involved?
There will be a presentation in one of your Year 11 assemblies between January and April where you can find out more. Alternatively you can print off more details here and complete and return an application to us. Places are limited and will be offered on a first come first serve basis. If you are sure you want a place, then apply now, or email or phone us if you have questions.
How much does it cost?
All costs for the residential are covered as part of the programme e.g. qualified instructors, specialist equipment, food and transport to the venue from an agreed collection point.
The programme is highly subsidised and you will be asked to make a minimal contribution of £50 to take part. In situations of hardship there may be bursaries to enable all students to take part.
The main contacts for the EBP programme are:
Suzanne Lewis: slewis@portsmouthebp.co.uk
Tina Hennessy: thennessy@portsmouthebp.co.uk
Cath Longhurst: clonghurst@portsmouthebp.co.uk
How do I apply for NCS?
All the forms we need you to complete, including an application form, can be downloaded by using the link below. If you are absolutely certain this is the how you want to spend your time this Summer, you will need to complete the application form, parental consent/medical form along with your cheque for £50 made payable to Partnership Network Ltd and return it to us at the address below. Due to the demand for places, we regret that we will not refund any cancelled places, so you must be absolutely sure this is the right thing for you. No place will be confirmed until such payment has been received, nor are places guaranteed.
Please return to:
Portsmouth & South East Hampshire Education Business Partnership 1000 Lakeside North harbour Western Road Portsmouth PO6 3ENIf you would like to check out some photos, videos and comments from young people who participated in summer 2011, you can visit the NCS facebook page.
Please click here to view the NCS facebook page
