NCS youngsters create 'Walking on Together' campaign

NCS youngsters create \'Walking on Together\' campaign

Young students support elderly residents suffering from social isolation.

During the NCS Summer 2020 ‘Keep Doing Good’ programme, Leeds United Foundation coaches and young participants visited Holbeck Together to discuss how they could help contribute to the local community.

NCS is a youth programme that exists to unite, engage, and empower young people and as part of the course youngsters are asked to get involved in Social Action Projects to support their local community and local charities.

Holbeck Together, formerly known as Holbeck Elderley Aid, has a strong relationship with the club, with the charity working to support people who live in the shadows of Elland Road who may have low income, struggle with employment and education or may have issues with their health, housing or environmentally.

The NCS ‘Blue Team’ were tasked with trying to raise some funds for the local charity to help them continue their work during the COVID-19 pandemic, taking on ‘The 500 Challenge.’ To complete the challenge the group of youngsters spent a day outside Elland Road, at Centenary Square, participating in continuous loops of 500 seconds of dancing, planking and passing a football. Together they managed to raise £125 for the charity, successfully encouraging members of the public to donate and join in the fun.

The group did not stop there though and wanted to continue to support Holbeck Together and in particular the elderly members of the local community through what has been an incredibly isolating period for them, many whom live alone and have suffered during the pandemic.

A ‘Walking on Together’ campaign was created by the young students, which included meeting with elderly service users and taking them for a socially distanced walks around the Holbeck area. For many of the participants, this was the first face to face interaction they had received in months, giving them the chance to socialise, talk to someone new and hear about current events.

This campaign is still being delivered and is now in its eighth week, with Leeds United Foundation staff, graduates from the NCS programme and members of the ‘Keep Doing Good’ programme continuing to volunteer every Wednesday morning, supporting the most vulnerable people in our community.

If you would like more information about the NCS programme or are interested in taking part in the Autumn cohort, please contact Tara.Nolan@leedsunited.com.  

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