Away from home: Jemimah’s NCS diary
Written by Jemimah (she/her), who went on an NCS Live It away from home experience in July 2024.
5 min read
At the start of the year, I took part in a local community experience and loved it so much! It gave me loads of new skills and helped me feel inspired for my future. I even wrote a blog about it — read it here! So when I found out about away from home experiences, I knew I needed to sign up for one of those too.
(Thought you could only do one type of NCS experience? Nope! You can go away from home, stay in your local community, or do something online. Check out the whole scope of experiences and see what’s best for you. Okay, back to Jemimah…)
My journey began on Monday 22 July 2024…
Day one…
I took a bus and two trains to Fulham, and after six hours, the coach brought us to Norfolk. We were greeted warmly upon arrival and quickly settled in, starting with a much-needed lunch, a typical British meal of chips, beans, and sausage rolls.
We moved into our accommodation, which, to our surprise, had no Wi-Fi or electrical outlets in the rooms! Despite this, we managed with massive power cables running across the corridor.
We then participated in an activity with our groups. I was in the best team, number five, which included our team leader Sully and Kingswood staff member Elliot. We introduced ourselves with fun adjectives (mine was 'Jammy Jemimah') and enjoyed abseiling and buggy building as our first group activity, where we made cars with kegs and sticks. The evening ended with a bonfire, hot chocolate, the loudest chant competition, and a game of volleyball.
Day two
The next day was packed with various activities like building a structure with marshmallows and spaghetti (which completely collapsed) and making a chair with balloons (which was sturdy but not enough to win the challenge). We also engaged in debates on controversial topics such as having children and marriage.
After lunch, we did team building exercises, sharing roles and planning what to do in an emergency scenario; a hurricane. I was the executive director and helped delegate roles and bring the group together. It was a fun and educational experience where I learned about different roles, including safety and security, medical teams, and public information officers involved in an emergency. The day ended with dinner and some free time.
Day three
More activities! We took part in a finance exercise where we had to budget for rent, food, and more. My group even managed to save some pocket money. We also discussed our future goals and aspirations; one of mine is to finish my A-levels with A*s. The evening was exciting with archery and photography, where I learned to shoot accurately and powerfully.
Day four
We focused on life skills on day four, such as making a fire, cooking food, and building a shelter in the woods. I learned how to use sticks and a graphite stick to start a fire. We made a strong shelter and cooked a vegetable and noodle soup with spices, and aromatic smells thanks to my team's creativity and ingenuity to think outside the box.
We also made s'mores, danced to the Macarena, and had a campfire song competition with the opposing team. We tied despite being clearly better! We also did zip-lining and Jacob's Ladder, where I reached the very top! The night ended with a disco party, showcasing our best dance moves and singing to the top of our lungs.
Day five
On the last day, we had group games and reflected on our experience.
We also had a rewards ceremony, where young people and leaders got prizes. My highlight was getting a prize from Sully for being so supportive and willing to help, which got me a pack of sweets!
Final thoughts
Overall, I highly recommend going on an away from home experience. I had a blast, made amazing friends, and pushed myself out of my comfort zone. You get so much more than your money’s worth. Especially towards the end, where if you have participated enough you get a nice little treat to reward you for your efforts!
There were a few disadvantages, which might be different depending on where you stay. For me, it was the lack of plugs, no Wi-Fi and the food, which wasn't to my taste. However, the advantages totally outweighed that!
The best part of the experience was having Sully and Elliot as leaders. Their energy and dedication were admirable, and we had great banter and bonding from the start. The disco and group activities with Team Five were also highlights because we enjoyed each other's company and had great vibes throughout the experience.
One last piece of advice
I would recommend bringing a plastic bag for dirty clothes! And plenty of snacks. Portable chargers are also a good idea, despite no immediate plugs to charge our devices it was a nice opportunity for everyone to unwind.
Thank you NCS and Kingswood for having me and giving me such a great experience!
Want to take part in your own away from home experience? Don’t miss out, check out what’s on offer near you and sign up today!