For release 31st May 2020
New generation of teen volunteers will help get Nation’s charity shops open and earning.
At the start of National Volunteering Week, we are launching a countrywide pledge to enable one million hours of doing good. Learn more about our initiative.
The One Million Hours Initiative is launching with a collaboration with the Charity
Retail Association [CRA] to help get charity shops open and earning again. As
charities struggle with loss of revenue during lockdown, there is an urgent need
to support their reopening plans now the government has announced that shops
in England can do so from 15th June.
The charity shop sector is reliant on volunteers but many are elderly and the CRA
estimates that over half may not be able to return to their former positions
immediately. To get this vital revenue stream flowing again it will be necessary to
recruit a new army of volunteers to support up to 9,500 shops across England
during their staggered openings.
From the 8th June teens will be able sign up at NCS to help their local charity
shop to open again. Charities such as The Air Ambulance Service and Barnardo’s
will be some of the first to benefit from having a pipeline of new volunteers.
As the UK's flagship youth programme, NCS understands how 16 and 17 years olds
are desperate to step up and support their communities - many already are, but
nearly half [44%] don’t know how to get involved to help. Often volunteer roles are
for over 18s only.
NCS Trust CEO Mark Gifford explains: “NCS is perfectly positioned to harness the
enthusiasm and talent of social conscious teens looking to make a positive
impact in their local community. Since we launched our ‘Staying Connected’ hub
on the NCS website last month, over 600,000 young people have engaged with it.
The age barrier of being under 18 should not hold back this huge group of young
national citizens who are ready to play a valuable role in our country’s recovery.
‘With many young people missing out on their planned work experience,
volunteering will also provide an alternative route to develop essential life skills
that can’t be learnt in a classroom environment. NCS will enable 16 and 17 year
olds to turn a summer of disappointment and restrictions into a summer of ‘No
We Can’.”
CRA CEO Robin Osterley added; “As Charities in England have the green light to
open from mid June, most will be struggling with their urgent need to get this
revenue source flowing but with a reduced volunteer workforce and all the
essential safety measures that must be in place. Charity shops in the UK are
losing customer sales of £3.4 million a day for their parent charities, yet are a
much-loved part of the heart of High Streets up and down the country.
‘With the involvement of young people we can help ensure charity shops across
the country are in the best possible position to reopen and thrive with a
reinforced volunteer team. We know people have used the lockdown period to
declutter their houses and we are expecting our members to be showered with
stock as soon as they open their doors.”
This announcement follows the news of a repurposed version of the traditional
NCS programme for this extraordinary summer. The Trust is also delivering
content through NCS digital channels, focussing on the skills and life lessons not
learnt in the classroom.
Nearly 100,000 teens have already accessed the content within the newly
launched ‘Staying Connected Hub’ and there have been over 600,000
interactions with the content on social channels enabling young people across
the country to make new connections during lockdown.
End
Sign up will be from the 8th June via the NCS website with teens able to start
volunteering from the beginning of July onwards.
The initiative is open to all 16 and 17 year olds and any 18 year old who has taken part
in NCS.
For more information please contact Charlotte Speedy:
07801 215001 or Charlottespeedy@ncstrust.org.uk
About NCS:
NCS is an experience like no other. Designed for 16-17 year olds across England and
Northern Ireland, NCS is a youth programme that runs every summer and autumn,
during school holidays. Teens get the opportunity to mix with a new crowd, live away
from home for a while, take on new challenges and in the process build lifelong
friendships.
The programme is all about emboldening young people – by giving them a taste of
independence and equipping them with essential skills for life. NCSers then get a chance
to take these new-found skills for a test-run in their local community.
NCS is dedicated to providing a platform to make sure young people are heard and can
engage with their community by completing passion projects, raising awareness and
providing solutions to the issues they care about.
The experience might last just a few weeks, but the impact? That lasts a lot longer. Since
2009 nearly 600,000 young people have taken part in NCS, completing over 14.5 million
hours of community action, and gaining priceless life experiences.
NCS costs no more than £50 - with bursaries and support for those with special
educational needs or disabilities also available. NCS’s mission is to give every young
person the life-changing experience.
To find out more visit wearencs.com
Visit NCS social media platforms on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
About NCS Trust
National Citizen Service Trust is a not-for-profit organisation incorporated by Royal
Charter and established to shape, support, champion and lead a thriving National Citizen
Service.
National Citizen Service Trust is registered in England and Wales with Royal Charter Body
number RC000894. Our registered office is at The Pembroke Building, Kensington Village,
Avonmore Road, London, W14 8DG.
To learn more about NCS Trust visit LinkedIn
To find out more, visit the website, or follow NCS on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
