NCS reveals details of year-round offer for 2023
Fiona Simpson
Tuesday, November 15, 2022
The National Citizen Service (NCS) has revealed details of its programme for 2023 as it shifts to a year-round offer with online elements.
From next January, young people will be able to choose from up to three different types of experiences which will include a residential stay, community-based activities and online learning, the NCS Trust has announced.
The programme, which was first launched by then-prime minister David Cameron in 2011, has traditionally offered summer and autumn residential stays for 16- and 17-year-olds.
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However, following the cancellation of the programmes in 2020 and 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Trust, which runs the scheme, announced major changes for a year-round offer.
A new residential experience which will consist of a five-day stay away from home where young people will take part in activities that centre around employability, independent living or social action.
Young people will also be offered the chance to take part in one-off activities in their communities, according to the Trust, which will work with the National Youth Agency and Street Games to fund local organisations to deliver community-based activities.
Applications are expected to open in early 2023 with successful applicants asked to demonstrate the ability to deliver on one of the NCS’s goals of employability, independent living or social action.
Grants will also be available for “bespoke experiences for groups of young people who may not otherwise engage in NCS”, according to the Trust.
The NCS also plans to launch a raft of online resources for young people from early 2023 including live discussions and at-home learning.
Mark Gifford, chief executive of the NCS Trust, said: “Our new approach allows young people to engage with NCS in new ways, allowing us to reach more young people than ever before.
“Everything we do is guided by our mission to create a country of confident, connected, caring citizens where everyone feels at home, while ensuring that our experiences contribute to our participants feeling more work-ready and world-ready in a post pandemic world.”
