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On Tuesday 13th September we welcomed the next wave of NCS Graduates to the historic Winding Wheel in Chesterfield.

This celebration was attended by young people and their families to showcase their achievements on Wave Two of the Summer National Citizen Service (NCS).   50 young people aged 16-17 were welcomed back for a chance to share with friends and family the remarkable journey they had been on; all the adventure, team work and inspiring social action projects that they had taken part in over four weeks of summer

All participants had put an incredible amount of work into NCS, giving up part of their Summer holidays to take part in the scheme. Despite not knowing their team mates before the first day they overcame challenging activities together, learnt new skills and created some amazing projects to help their communities. It was unbelievable to think that just months beforehand most of the young people at Friday’s event had never met one another. The buzzing atmosphere of excitement, friendship and support stands testament to the tight bonds they formed thanks to NCS.

Each team was welcomed in turn to the stage, as their leader recounted the highlights of their wave.  Every young person received a certificate as an official document to mark their hard work and the challenges they have overcome. This certificate and the hard work they have invested in NCS is recognised by universities, colleges and employers and will help them in the future by making them stand out above the rest.

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We were delighted to recognise the achievements and awarded the ‘Social Action Hero Award’ to:

  • Charlotte Conway
  • Sophia Birchall
  • Eleanor Bennett
  • Joshua Coughlan
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Every team fearlessly took to the stage to present their social action project which they designed, planned and carried out over the Summer. We were honoured to welcome leaders from the local community who judged the presentations, and would like to say a big thank you to them for giving up their time to join us and celebrate the impact of our young people.

  • Alan Ward, Community Organisers
  • David Brown, Community Organisers
  • Simon Paterson, Ingeus
  • Charlee Oldham, Ingeus
  • James Canvin, NCS Trust
  • Nathan Khan, Chesterfield Football Club
Our panel of judges assessed the teams on their report and presentation according to the following judging criteria.

  • The teams learning and knowledge gained
  • The teams impact on their community
  • The team skills that participants have learnt and developed throughout the programme including creativity, self-confidence, risk-taking, energy and leadership.
  • Any additional special recognition, including having other people involved in the project, creating multiple projects or creating a sustainable project

The Social Action projects were diverse and reflected the interest and passions of the young people; from a focus on support for sexual assault victims, ensuring people with invisible disabilities feel comfortable using facilities in town, vegan and vegetarian friendly restaurants and effecting the positivity of young people though an online magazine.

The winning team, ‘Open Hands’ managed a simply inspiring project.  The judges were incredible impressed with their outcomes, their focus and their great attitude.  The Open Minds team paired up with a sexual assault support charity called SAIL.  This group of young people managed to persuade the charity to have counsellors who would support those aged 14+, as previously they had only support those who were over 18 years old.  This is an incredible achievement

The group set up social media including a website which the charity continues to use themselves, raised nearly £300 and showed how well they had worked as a team.

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All graduates should be really proud of what they have achieved and we’re delighted to have publicly acknowledged the dedication, leadership and commitment they have shown by taking part in NCS. We would like to thank them, and every single member of staff that led, mentored and supported the participants on Wave Two to compete the programme!

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Simon

Ingeus (NCS Recruiter)

“It was amazing to see so many socially conscious young leaders in just one room. Everyone took the time out of their busy Summer’s to make a positive to the lives of others. A truly commendable commitment.”

NCS is a life changing four week Government funded programme getting young people connected and active in their local community. Over 200,000 young people aged 16-17 in the UK will have been taken on a journey to increase their leadership skills, teamwork and communication skills as well as developing trust, responsibility, understanding and empathy through the NCS programme.You can find out more about NCS at www.ncsyes.co.uk and www.facebook.com/NCS.