RISHI SUNAK PRAISES NCS YOUNG PEOPLE MAKING A DIFFERENCE
20 August 2021
Rishi Sunak has praised the passion and commitment of a group of students who gave up part of the summer holiday to help their community. Read More.
The Richmond (Yorks) MP joined two groups of students from North Yorkshire taking part in an NCS (National Citizen Service) programme with Yorkshire Cricket Foundation.
The 30 students, most of whom study at Richmond School & Sixth Form College, were taking part in the scheme which is designed to build skills and confidence in young people as they approach adulthood.
Two members of the group – Grace Kipling, 16, and Caitlin Briggs, 16 – had written to Mr Sunak about their social action project.
The students split into two groups to tackle two projects – LGBTQ+ awareness and a campaign to support mental health in schools following Covid.
Mr Sunak said: “I was most impressed by the enthusiasm of the students for the projects – which were their own ideas – and the determination with which they pursued their objectives.
“They were also having lots of fun while doing so, getting to work together in teams and making new friends.”
Mr Sunak spent time with the LGBTQ+ awareness group who had set up a number of fundraising stalls at the school’s Darlington Road entrance, including selling cakes and running a tombola.
Their aim was to generate enough money to cover the costs of creating a LGBTQ+ awareness mural at the bus stop opposite the school.
He also talked to the second group about their campaign to encourage schools and colleges to fund mental health support for young people after the pandemic.
They had created an online petition with the aim of securing a parliamentary debate on the issue and collectively completed 300 miles – roughly the distance from Richmond to Westminster – walking, cycling or on rowing machines and treadmills to raise money.
Ms Kipling, who worked with the LGBTQ+ group, said: “It was nice to talk to him about our project. We showed him around our stall and explained our campaign. He loved the fact that the youth are getting involved and are passionate about having an inclusive community.” She said: “It was amazing knowing that he is here to support us and help spread the word about our campaign.”
Ms O’Reilly, who worked in the mental health project team, said the NCS experience had been amazing.
“I have been able to listen to so many people’s stories and understand how Parliament works, how petitions work, how to be able to have a voice and step out of my comfort zone and become more confident. It’s been amazing to meet a new group of people and see life in a different way,” she said.
Mark Gifford, the CEO of NCS, said: “We’re delighted that local young people were able to spend time with Rishi discussing the projects they’re passionate about and sharing with him the things that matter to them.
“Young people today want their voices to be heard and to play a part in building the future that they will inherit and inhabit, so being able to share with their local MP what they have been doing for their community on NCS was really special.”
Alex Hipkins, the NCS Manager at Yorkshire Cricket Foundation which delivered the NCS programme in Richmond, said: "It was great to welcome Rishi to our NCS programme. He got to see first-hand the positive impact young people are making in the Richmond area.”
ENDS
NOTES TO EDITORS
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About NCS (National Citizen Service)
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.
NCS delivers value for money. £3.49 of benefits to society for every £1 spent. During lockdown NCS has had over 1.7 million unique engagements with teens through its ‘Staying Connected’ hub.
About NCS Trust
National Citizen Service Trust is an Arm's Length Body of DCMS 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.
To learn more about NCS Trust visit LinkedIn
To find out more visit wearencs.com
Visit NCS social media platforms on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
