National Citizen Service (NCS Trust) and The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award (DofE) have been chosen to deliver a pioneering Enrichment Partnerships Pilot (EPP) to give thousands of young people in schools across selected areas of England the chance to participate in high quality enrichment activities.
The pilot scheme aims to improve the availability and quality of enrichment activities in up to 200 secondary schools within Education Investment Areas in the North East, the North West and the East of England. Activities will be delivered by a local enrichment coordinator, who will work with up to 10 schools plus other organisations, businesses and the council in their area, and will include a wide range of locally-relevant opportunities, from sports and arts to volunteering and outdoor experiences. Young people will be at the heart of designing the activities.
The £2.7 million funding, provided by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and the Department for Education, will see NCS Trust work with a network of up to 20 grantees, supported by the DofE, who will lead on establishing local partnerships and sharing best practice.
NCS Trust and the DofE are looking to build on existing networks and partnerships with local authorities, voluntary and community sector organisations and multi-academy trusts as well as establishing new partnerships to deliver the pilot.
Mark Gifford, CEO of NCS Trust, welcomed the partnership, saying: “We are delighted to team up with The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award to roll out the Enrichment Partnerships Pilot. The programme will provide support to up to 200 secondary schools in underserved communities to improve access to quality enrichment opportunities.
“We know that many schools would like to up their enrichment offer, but face barriers such as connecting with local organisations, managing staff time and resources. Young people often gain skills outside of the typical classroom environment and we want to provide them with access to high-quality, relevant opportunities which reflect their interests and aspirations, benefiting them now and in the future.”
Ruth Marvel, CEO of The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, said: “Enrichment activities help young people have fun, gain skills and self-belief, and connect with their communities – with positive impacts for their mental and physical health, social mobility and educational outcomes.
“But we know many young people are still missing out – so we’re delighted to be embarking on this groundbreaking partnership with NCS Trust, connecting more young people with potentially life-changing opportunities beyond their classrooms.”
Interested organisations looking to apply for grants to deliver enrichment coordination can submit an application from Monday 6th November at wearencs.com/enrichment-partnerships-pilot. Applications close at 5pm on Friday 24th November.
Over the past decade, more than 800,000 young people have benefitted from an NCS experience, dedicating over 18 million hours to community based social action, while gaining invaluable life experiences.
Every year, The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award (DofE) inspires hundreds of thousands of young people, from all walks of life, to explore who they are, grow in confidence and develop the skills and self-belief they need to successfully navigate life. The DofE is delivered in schools, colleges, community organisations, hospitals, prisons and more, all over the UK.
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For more information, please contact:
NCS press office – email media@ncstrust.org.uk or call 020 3920 8576.
DofE press office – email media@DofE.org or call 01753 727420
About NCS (National Citizen Service)
NCS offers a range of experiences for young people that support them to become world ready and work ready — through growing their confidence, independence and skills; connecting them with people from all walks of life; and empowering them to make a difference in their communities and wider society.
NCS is managed and supported by NCS Trust, our central team who are constantly working to make sure that NCS delivers impactful experiences to as many young people as possible. NCS is funded by the UK Government through the Department for Culture, Media and Sport as a core part of the National Youth Guarantee.
About the DofE
The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award helps young people build life-long belief in themselves, supporting them to take on their own challenges, follow their passions, and discover talents they never knew they had. It is delivered in schools, colleges, community organisations, hospitals, prisons and more, all over the UK.
In 2022/23, 323,676 young people started their DofE, with participants giving more than 3.5 million hours of volunteering in their communities. The DofE charity is working to give more than one million young people the chance to participate in a life-changing DofE programme by 2026. Find out more at DofE.org.
What are Education Investment Areas?
As part of the government’s Levelling Up agenda, the Department for Education identified 55 communities for intensive additional support where school outcomes are the weakest. These Education Investment Areas (EIAs) will receive targeted investment, support and action that help young people from all backgrounds and areas to succeed at the very highest level. Resources will be focused on schools in the north, the Midlands, the east of England and the south-west for the next decade.
