The National Citizen Service (NCS) team within the Leeds United Foundation have been delivering an exclusive summer initiative with students at Woodkirk Academy.
The two-week programme was a huge success, with around 30 students taking part in various exciting and adventurous team building activities as well as a number of educational workshops on a range of different topics. Some of the workshops the youngsters took part in included those on presentation skills, public speaking and debate, self-defence, media and politics, and an art and creativity workshop with avid Leeds United supporter and local artist Burley Banksy.
As part of the programme the pupils also had to undertake projects in their local community and they opted to work with Holbeck Together, a charity based in the shadows of Elland Road that supports vulnerable people of all ages from pre-school through to the older members of the Holbeck community.
The group organised two activities, raising a total of £500 for the charity as well as collecting non-perishable foods and goods to be given to the most vulnerable people served by the charity. There was a sponsored 10k walk with the children also able to use some of the skills they’d developed during the media workshops, sharing content throughout the walk with awareness videos created and posts on social media linking directly to the charity. Whilst another group organised a ‘Cans for Merits’ initiative, with the students exchanging merits at school with foods and goods – they collected each day from tutor groups throughout the school, with hundreds of items collected in total.
Matthew Springthorpe, Outreach Officer at Holbeck Together, said: “The difference this money and the goods collected will make is massive, the students have done themselves, the NCS programme and Woodkirk Academy really proud. A massive thank you from everyone at Holbeck Together for all of their hard work.”
One of the students that took part in the programme, added: “It feels really good to feel like you are able to make a difference for those who have less than you do. The entire programme has been really good, and we’ve been able to do lots of different things.
"One of my favourite parts was the public speaking workshop, I wouldn’t have been able to stand up in front of my mates at the start but by the end I was public speaking to almost 40 people, and it felt amazing. I wish we could do it all over again.”
There are a limited number of places remaining on the Leeds United Foundation’s NCS programme this summer, so if you are 16 to 17 and want to take part in NCS Summer 2021, please head to the NCS website to secure your place today https://wearencs.com/.
If you have any questions regarding the NCS programme, please contact [email protected].
