Young Peoples FAQ's 2

Yes. If you sign up to the programme we want you to be able to commit to attending every part of it. It's important that you complete it as you'll be working as a team with other young people, and they'll be depending on your contributions. There may be times when you've a good reason why you can't show up, but these need to be kept to a minimum if you want to succeed. 

If your holiday dates clash with those of NCS then you'll need to check with your local provider if it's worth getting involved. Missing big chunks of the programme will mean that you won't get nearly as much out it, and your NCS team mates will achieve a lot more with you around! 

We hope that everyone will enjoy NCS, but for those who find it less fun, we'd ask you to try and stick with it, and learn something important. We want you to try new experiences, and challenge yourself in a way that might put you outside of your comfort zone, or work with types of people you may not have encountered before. This might not always be easy, but it should be well worth it. 

As part of your NCS programme, you'll work with your team on leading a social action project. This means that you'll take a look at the problems in your community, work out how you can provide a solution to those problems through the skills you've got, fundraise for some money to support you, and then put together a project in your community that will put your solutions into action. 

The idea is that all the activities for the social action project will take place within your local community, so transport costs will be minimal. If you need to travel further afield, ask your local provider if there is money to cover your transport. 

Absolutely. We want young people to show what they're capable of when they're asked to make a difference, and by getting involved with the NCS we hope you'll be able to show employers that too. If you're worried that your CV is looking a little bare, then a summer filled with team-work, social action, and learning new skills should certainly give you something to show off about! 

By September, we hope you'll come away from your NCS experience with a real motivation for making change in your community, or with a better idea of where you want to go next. You'll have gained links to lots of local organisations that you could look for voluntary placements with. If your NCS team worked well together, you could carry on your good work, putting social action projects together; you might even start your own social enterprise business!