In this blog, I will talk to you about my NCS experience with Club Doncaster Sports College.

Within the first 2 months of my journey with Club Doncaster Sports College, we must complete a residential and a social project to benefit the local community with an organisation called NCS – National Citizenship Service.

I took part in the NCS for the first time back in the summer of 2018 after finishing school. When the college mentioned we were going on this residential with NCS, I already knew what the programme is about.

NCS Summer Programme

NCS is a programme for young adults aged 15 – 18-year-olds where they go away on a residential to the Lake District and participate in nature outdoor activities. This is followed by a social action project where you and your group help the local community.

Why is NCS an excellent opportunity for young people? Well, it isn’t just a week away from home. It is an opportunity for you to develop yourself in knowledge, skills and get to know new people and fun activities.

Club Doncaster Sports College NCS Experience

My NCS experience with Club Doncaster Sports College was one of the main reasons my college identified me as a team leader and a role model for my peers to look up to. We spent up in the Lake District completing fun, outdoor, natural activities during a couple of days, including grill scrambling, canoeing, and many more. This is an opportunity to identify your strengths and put them up to good use to help your group complete the tasks.

NCS was when my group at college got to know each other more, and we understood each other. This develops a group of people not just in skills but their relationship also. This is another reason colleges carry out this residential because they want you to build your relationship with your peers.

From this experience, I took away the same I did when I completed it in the summer after leaving school;

• Completing this programme allows young students to face their fears
• Identify skills they never thought they had
• Meeting new people and getting to know them even more and on a personal level

After spending a couple of days in the Lake District, we came back home. The second week was a social action project where we had to come together as a group and help the local community.

Social Action Project

My group’s social action project was at Kirk Sandall Cricket Club; during the second week, we helped the cricket club restore some of the premises.

This also came along with trying to help the club attract the local community. We created some cartoon stickmen on the fences to attract younger citizens. Hopefully, they would visit the club and maybe try cricket out as a sport.

This was also not just to help out the cricket club’s local community but to inspire young kids to take up a sport and keep active as this is always a goal for our sports college to ensure that sports aspirations in the younger generation continue.

Please check out what NCS is doing to develop the younger generation by creating memories and experiences for them to remember throughout their career.

The Benefit Of This Experience

As a student trying to progress onto further study to achieve my desired career, this experience can look good on your CV, which makes you look very good to employers. Doing this type of programme can show off the kind of candidate you are, which will give you a better chance at succeeding by giving off a good impression.