Action4Youth’s summer NCS programme takes young people on a journey they’ll never forget

This summer, Buckinghamshire based charity, Action4Youth, in partnership with the National Citizen Service (NCS) and The Challenge Network, will give 16 and 17 year olds the chance to take part in a three week challenge that will develop their skills and confidence, while having the time of their lives.

Working closely with its outdoor education centre, the Caldecotte Xperience in Milton Keynes, Action4Youth’s NCS programme will encourage young people to improve their community, learn new skills, work with others and take on new and exciting challenges.

This exhilarating and rewarding opportunity is open to more than 450 young people within the local area. After initial introductions and getting to know one another, the first week is an Away Residential, which includes four nights of camping in Gloucestershire, experiencing a mix of water sports, land based outdoor activities and mental challenges. The second week is a Home Residential at Action4Youth’s Caldecotte Xperience, the young people are grouped into teams (usually of between 12 and 15), where they learn new skills, put these skills to the test and find out more about the local area. The young people also complete their first aid qualification during this week.

The final week is Social Action Week, in which teams put their plans to support local community projects and charities into action, as they volunteer and raise funds for their respective organisations. Charity partners for 2018 include Aylesbury Homeless Action Group, Alzheimer’s Society, Roald Dahl’s Marvellous Children’s Charity, Tiggywinkles Wildlife Hospital and many more.

Emily Davis, Action4Youth’s Programme Manager explains: “The Action4Youth NCS programme is a life changing experience for many young people; they make friends, learn new skills and best of all they have an unforgettable time.

“For many, the three week programme is just the start of their Action4Youth journey. Following this summer’s NCS there will be a celebration event and after that there will be many opportunities for further progression. We are employing 36 seasonal staff this summer, either as team leaders or assistants and around 75% of those are Action4Youth NCS graduates themselves.”

If you are interested in signing up to this year’s Action4Youth NCS programme, telephone 0300 003 2334 and ask to speak to the NCS team. Places are limited, so we would recommend calling as soon as you can.