Saturday's home game against Wycombe Wanderers is our 'NCS Match Day' where we'll be helping Stevenage FC Foundation to promote its summer 2017 NCS programme.
They're after 16-17 year olds in school years 11 or 12 to sign up and change their summer on this fantastic government-funded scheme, which has already benefitted more than 500 young people from Stevenage in recent years. We'll have more details in Saturday's match day programme and a team of NCS helpers will be in the stadium pre-match to help provide further information for anyone who's interested.
What is it?
NCS (National Citizen Service) is a government funded programme for 16-17 year olds designed around six key principles: Social Mix, Challenge, Increased Responsibility and Independence, Reflection, Social Action and Inspiration. It's a once-in-a-lifetime experience and can help fast-track young people’s futures by learning new skills for work as well as developing young people’s confidence, teamwork and leadership skills.
NCS is the fastest growing youth movement since the Scouts began and over 200,000 young people have now graduated from the programme. This includes around 500 young people from Stevenage who have already graduated with Stevenage FC Foundation.
What does it consist of?
The summer programme is run over 4 weeks during the summer holidays and is split into three phases:
Phase 1
An away residential to an outwards bounds centre taking part in activities that work on improving team work, challenging you to push yourself and experiencing new things. These activities will involve Abseiling, Rock Climbing, Problem Solving, Archery, Fencing, Go Karting, Leap of Faith, Jacobs ladder and more!
Phase 2
This phase is where we focus on the ‘Increased Responsibility and Independence’ principle. We will travel to university-style accomodation for the week and live life like a student. We will provide everyone with a £25 Tesco voucher and you will need to buy and cook your food for the week. Alongside this, you will take part in activities such as University tours, Town Trails, CV and Employability skills workshops and a Mini Olympics.
Phase 3
This phase is where you really take the reins and are allowed to be as creative and as expressive as you want too when planning your very own Social Action Project. It is your job to research where in local community you could make a difference and what you could do to make a positive impact on the community. You and your team are in charge of the whole project, including raising money to fund your project, contacting local charities or businesses as well as the overall delivery of whatever it is you decide to do.
Autumn NCS Programme
A condensed version of the NCS Summer Programme also take place in the October half term. These comprise of a one week residential trip followed by several weekend / evening sessions based on planning and delivering a Social Action Project. Please contact ncs@stevenagefc.com for more information on these programmes.
When is it?
The NCS summer 2017 programme with Stevenage FC Foundation is on the following dates:
Week 1 – 17th - 21st July
Week 2 – 24th - 28th July
Week 3 – 31st July - 4th August
Week 4 – 7th - 11th August
How much does it cost?
The cost for the whole four weeks is just £50.
How do I apply?
To apply or to find out further information please email Dani Burge on ncs@stevenagefc.com or call 01438 222 222. The NCS website is at www.ncsyes.co.uk.