Hi again,
I've just found this blog again and decided that I want to start using it again and will try to post once a month. This post was in my drafts from 2016 so I thought I'd start with this even though it is 2 years late!!
This summer I got the chance to do NCS, when I applied earlier this year little did I know that it would be one of the best experiences of my life so far! I went to the induction day not knowing anybody and for me that was petrifying as I am the least confident person. By the end of the induction day I had got to know my team that I would spend 4 weeks with but I still wasn't confident.
Just for a bit of insight, NCS is a voluntary personal and social development scheme for teens aged 15-17 in England and Northern Island that is largely funded by the UK Government.
Okay, so at this point, I showed up on 11th July, having forgotten everyone's names already but vaguely remembering faces, ready for the first week and not entirely knowing what to expect. That all changed. By the end of the first day, we were already close and bound to get closer over the next 4 weeks. The first week involved outdoor pursuit activities that pushed some of us harder than others, for example, the Leap Of Faith, High Equilibrium and the 3G Swing. However, everybody in Team 2 managed to complete EVERY activity and there were no regrets!
By the second week, we were all so close and the teams had even mixed so we got to meet even more new people which made the experience 10x better. The second week involved lectures at a local university, including getting our First Aid certificates. The lectures were interesting however the best part about week 2 was the spare time, including many rounders matches, a small gig and a fancy dress disco, in which my group went with a Grease theme. Nobody wanted to go home after this week as that meant it was getting closer to the end.
The last two weeks were the most rewarding. We spent a week trying to decide how to raise money for our chosen charity, The Joshua Tree, and a week trying to raise the money. Whether it be a car wash or a cake sale or dressing up as a giraffe (it happened). In the end we managed to raise a total of £1,560 in just over a week and it felt amazing.
If you ever get the opportunity to take part in NCS, it is one that I would not let slip away as it did change me and helped me gain more confidence than I ever thought I could have (although Ive still got a long way to go).
x
