We are excited to announce the launch of a new community experience programme, which has been funded by NCS (National Citizen Service) to support young people in Suffolk.
The grant is part of a significant £20m funding package that NCS Trust have awarded to organisations across England to deliver community-based experiences at a local and grassroots level.
These new experiences will complement NCS’ existing away-from-home residential offer by providing more opportunities for teenagers to engage in local activities that foster skills development, deepen their understanding of the community, and empower them to contribute positively to its improvement. The grants will also support organisations that cater to specific groups of young people who may not have participated in previous NCS initiatives.
In collaboration with the National Youth Agency and StreetGames, NCS assessed more than 400 applications, and Volunteering Matters was selected as one of around 100 organisations to receive funding.
The grant will allow Volunteering Matters to deliver Community social action and volunteering experiences within the Arts, engaging young care-experienced people and young people from minoritised communities.
Stephen Skeet, Director of Business Development and Impact, Volunteering Matters, said: “We are delighted to deliver targeted NCS community experiences with young people across Suffolk over the next two years. We know that young people engaging with the arts and building youth social action and volunteering can be life-changing for themselves and their community.”
NCS grant recipients have to undertake their work in line with the #iwill Movement principles for quality youth social action. The #iwill Movement is part of the UK Government’s National Youth Guarantee, alongside NCS, with tens of thousands of young people across the UK initiating change in their communities through youth social action.
Stephen added, “It is fantastic to see that NCS are committed to the #iwill Movement and its principles as part of the National Youth Guarantee, and together, the voices of hundreds of thousands of young people and their work in communities will be amplified .”
Mark Gifford, CEO of NCS Trust, added: “I am delighted to welcome a diverse range of local, grassroots and community organisations from across the youth sector to deliver reimagined NCS experiences. This allows us to reach more young people than ever, ensuring they are equipped with the skills and perspective to become work-ready and world-ready. Additionally, our grants for targeted experiences will enable us to reach underserved young people and communities.”
Gifford added, “Together, we will work towards creating a country of confident, connected, caring citizens where everyone feels at home.”
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.
Volunteering Matters would love to hear from you if you are a school or local arts organisation in Suffolk interested in community social action or hosting experiences for young people. To learn more about how to participate, please get in touch with Tonia Wilson, Project Manager, by emailing tonia.wilson@volunteeringmatters.org.uk or by calling 07808850411.
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