Last week Stephen Metcalfe, local MP for South Basildon and East
Thurrock, joined 250 teenagers from the local area to celebrate their
completion of National Citizen Service, a four week summer programme which
engages young people with their local community.
The community-spirited teenagers were joined by parents and
friends at Grays Civic Hall for an evening of speeches from the local MP and an
NCS Team Leader, as well as live music from 15 year old singer Louisa Johnson.
National Citizen Service (NCS) is a government-run scheme which
takes 16 and 17 year olds on action-packed and skills-building residential
courses. The programme ends with teams of 15 devising and completing a project
to improve the local community.
Stephen Metcalfe MP presented every participant with a certificate
signed by the Prime Minister David Cameron. Mr Metcalfe had met several NCS
participants earlier this summer at one of their residential team-building
sessions in Upminster and has been supporting the program on an ongoing basis.
In his speech he praised the young participants for their hard
work and thanked them for all they have done in the local community. He later
added: “It was a tremendous privilege to participate in the NCS graduation
ceremony. Having promoted the scheme to local schools earlier in the year, it
was fantastic to see young people from South Basildon and East Thurrock
graduate. I hope that this year’s graduates will inspire a new cohort of NCS
participants and I look forward to supporting this process in whatever way I
can.”
Projects in Essex this summer included teams volunteering at local
hospices and children's homes, staging 'jailbreaks' from Chelmsford prison to
raise money for St Helena Hospice, as well as raising thousands of pounds for
local charities through bake sales and family fun days.
NCS is a national programme which costs each participant a maximum
of £50, although it is free of charge for those on free school meals. It is run
in locally by Essex Boys And Girls' Clubs and Essex County Council, and managed
across the East of England by public service provider Reed in Partnership.
Teenagers can sign up now to
take part in NCS during the October 2013 or February 2013 half terms at www.ncseast.co.uk
