NCS - National Citizen Service Trust

Young people having their say is crucially important right now! Over the past three months, we’ve organised a number of key events involving division-makers and sector leaders that have brought youth voice to the table, including: 📣 The North East Youth Symposium saw young people sharing their lived experiences on critical issues such as education and employment, community safety, poverty and inequality, as well as mental health. 🛶 While they were settling into the new parliament, we welcomed several MPs along to visit NCS experiences, where they met with their young constituents and heard first-hand how NCS had equipped them with new skills and contacts. 👔 Just last week, we convened a ‘Meet the Youth Sector’ event in UK Parliament with the #BackYouthAlliance. It was incredible to see the level of support the alliance received from MPs - with young people repping several of the organisations attending. 🗓️ And there’s more to come - we’re a founding supporter of UK Youth’s Joined Up Summit which will see experts and decision-makers descend on Birmingham on 7 November.

Leading youth organisations are to explore links between enrichment and school attendance in response to the current ‘absence epidemic’ 🏫 We have partnered with The Duke of Edinburgh's Award (DofE) Centre for Young Lives (CfYL) to explore the evidence linking participation in enrichment activities to improved academic attendance, amidst a rise in persistent absenteeism among young people. The commission will look to review and summarise evidence on the relationship between participation in enrichment and school attendance. Beyond the evidence review, the research will also draw on best practice case studies through school visits and observation, and interviews with educators from across the UK. The timely announcement comes as the Government prioritises school attendance, with Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson describing the number of children missing school as an “absence epidemic.” Also involved in the research project are YMCA George Williams College and Leeds Beckett University, with a final report and key policy recommendations expected in early 2025. Read more at: https://lnkd.in/eHcZbrDT

Missed the #BackYouth in Parliament event? 🎥 Watch our video below for some of the highlights. 🤝The #BackYouth Alliance is a coalition of 11 leading UK youth organisations, working to drive impact and progress for, and with young people. 💜 Thank you to Kate Dearden MP and James Asser MP for sponsoring our joint event! NCS - National Citizen Service Trust, National Youth Agency, YMCA England & Wales, UK Youth, Girlguiding, The Scouts, The Prince's Trust, Youth United Foundation, YMCA George Williams College, OnSide, The Duke of Edinburgh's Award

We’re so thrilled to have had tens of thousands of young people taking part in NCS experiences so far this year. We now offer a transformed range of experiences for young people to grow their strengths, including: 🧗 Away from home experiences take young people on a five-day adventure at outdoor locations across the country. They’ll have fun, meet new people and develop skills for life. ✨ Local community experiences for young people to make a positive impact, meet new people and learn new skills. Hundreds of locally-rooted youth organisations are involved, hosting open access and targeted experiences including a variety of activities from social action, sport, enterprise, work experience and more! 💻 New online experiences and interactive workshops where young people can pick up new skills from the comfort of the sofa. Find out more: https://lnkd.in/epj7wt8d 🎭 We’re also involved in a whole lot more, like the Enrichment Partnerships Pilot currently benefiting young people in areas of the North West, North East and East of England, to support access to high quality enrichment opportunities. 👔 Our UK Year of Service initiative helps young people, aged 18-24, from diverse backgrounds into socially beneficial work placements. 🤝 And there’s more - we’ve several partnerships ongoing with a host of exciting projects and organisations, such as The Duke of Edinburgh's Award, Shout Out UK, The Hope Collective, and The Faith & Belief Forum, to name just a few.

Earlier this year NCS - National Citizen Service Trust submitted evidence to the Oracy Education Commission. Their report, We Need to Talk, is now available 👇 NCS experiences support young people to grow their strengths and build essential skills, including oracy. You can find a summary of the evidence we submitted to the Commission on our Insights Page - https://lnkd.in/e7Zbf4b8 Impetus - Backing the best Voice 21 UK

For Mental Health Day 2024 some of our Youth Ambassadors shared with us how social media can affect their mental health and here's what they said: "It is important to take regular breaks from social media and the online world and reconnect and socialise with people in person. Make sure to check in with yourself often and ensure you are using social media in a positive way and not letting the false worlds you see negatively impact your mental health." Evie "Social media can be a catalyst in fueling unhealthy comparisons between unrealistic standards, and blurs the lines between social media and reality. But it can also provide us the opportunity to find valuable support and a positive community of people who are like minded. Helping you connect with others. You just need balance." Sophia "The benefits of social media are not to be ignored in any way but this does not take away from the crippling effects they have on the mental wellbeing of the youth if not controlled. Doomscrolling is a term used to define endlessly scrolling through social media for hours on end. All these can foster an environment for anxiety and depression, addiction and isolation and even cyberbullying. Very simple but effective methods can be used to battle these issues for example young people can also engage in healthy practices like screen time management through tools like night mode and screen time." Hillary #MentalHealthDay

🌟 Yesterday, we welcomed our NCS partners from across the North West to Bolton Lads & Girls Club for an inspiring day of collaboration! Our partners shared valuable insights into their NCS offerings, covering everything from away from home experiences to local community experiences. We also heard about the pioneering Enrichment Partnerships Pilot and met representatives from organisations employing young people through the UK Year of Service. It was a fantastic opportunity to celebrate the incredible work happening in the region and to exchange ideas that will help shape our future strategy. Together, we’re making a difference! 💪✨ Blackburn & Darwen Youth Zone Blackpool FC Community Trust BLGC The Calico Group Catch22 EFL in the Community HideOut Youth Zone HYPE Merseyside Ingeus Preston North End Community and Education Trust The Duke of Edinburgh's Award Youth Fed

What an incredible day in UK Parliament! We had a fantastic time with all the members of the #BackYouthAlliance at our ‘Meet The Youth Sector’ drop-in. It was an amazing opportunity to connect directly with Parliamentarians and showcase the incredible work of our #BackYouth partners as well as young people who have benefited from the experiences, programmes and support each partner provides.. A massive thank you to everyone in the alliance for making this event such a resounding success! 🙌✨ YMCA George Williams College The Duke of Edinburgh's Award Girlguiding National Youth Agency OnSide The Prince's Trust The Scouts UK Youth YMCA England & Wales Youth United Foundation

🚨 New submission of evidence to the Oracy Commission highlights the role of enrichment and non-formal learning in developing skills in oracy 🚨 📌 Best practice in oracy education pinpointed 💷 Evidence that individuals with strong speaking skills are more likely to advance in careers and achieve higher incomes 🧠 Explores links between oracy and mental health 🏛️ Recommendations to introduce policy to improve oracy education Earlier this year we submitted evidence to the Oracy Education Commission. NCS experiences support young people to grow their strengths and build essential skills, including oracy. The Commission examines the vital skills of speaking and listening at a time of technological and social change and will shape recommendations that lead to a shift in access to oracy education in England. Read the full report on our website: https://lnkd.in/ejr2inDh

It was great to meet our NCS partners from the South East at the regional network meeting in London yesterday. Partners shared updates on their exciting range of NCS away from home and local community experiences, including outdoor team building and leadership activities, environmental projects, fundraising initiatives and employability workshops. Participants also engaged in interactive group sessions, sharing valuable feedback and insights on NCS recruitment and programme delivery that will help shape future strategy and further enhance our experiences for young people. Thank you to everyone who attended and contributed to another constructive and productive day of NCS partner collaboration. Action4Youth Activate Charlton Athletic Community Trust Concordia Charity Groundwork South Ingeus Personal Best Education Police Community Clubs Of Great Britain Sport in Mind Surrey Outdoor Learning and Development Unloc