Story added: 24th August 2021

Participants on our National Citizen Service raise funds for charities and support community groups

Charity car washes, cake stalls and post-lockdown facelifts for community centres – young people have left their mark in Norfolk this summer thanks to the National Citizen Service (NCS) programme.

In groups, the 16-17-year-olds chose, planned and executed a social action project as part of their time on the two-week programme.

Among the highlights were:

• Donation packs prepared for St Martin’s Housing Trust charity
• Gardening & general maintenance at Silver Road Community Centre
• Clearing space for a new community herb and flower bed at St Anne’s Church in Norwich
• Charity car washes for the Benjamin Foundation, Cancer Research and Star Throwers charities raising a combined £515
• A day of caring for animals at Hallswood Animal Sanctuary
• Charity and cake stalls in the city centre raising a combined £716 for It’s On the Ball, Cancer Research, EACH and New Routes
• Volunteering at Castle Quarter’s YMCA store
• Litter picking across Norwich and Wymondham

The National Citizen Service is a nationwide inclusive summer programme that helps teens get the skills, experience and self-belief they need to achieve their potential.

During a first week of team building at Hautbois Activity Centre and The Nest, the groups worked together to decide on fundraising initiatives, before carrying them out for their chosen charity in the second week.

NCS is run in Norfolk by the Community Sports Foundation.

Making up this summer’s 305 participants were members of the Foundation’s Disability Player Development Centre and the new intake of Football & Education students.

Jenna Cannell, who leads the Foundation’s NCS programme – said:

“Due to the pandemic we were only able to offer a scaled-back NCS summer programme, but despite this, our groups still managed to make a big difference.

“It was so nice to see participants making new friends and developing themselves ready for their next steps in life, especially following such a tough year!”

To find out more about the National Citizen Service programme, please click here.