The NCS is a personal development programme for 16-17 year olds and for the first time this year, students from Henley College Business and Public Service course were offered the chance to take part. The NCS programme is split up into 3 sections: Outdoor adventure, Skill and Discovery and Social Action.
On the 20th November 2018, 28 Henley students set off on the first part of their NCS experience leaving for the Pioneer outdoor education centre near Kidderminster. Over the next 4 days, in their teams of 12, they took part in a wide range of activities designed to challenge (but not stretch!) individuals. They took part in activities ranging from high ropes to holding a giant snake! Being away from the pressures of everyday life gave students the chance to reflect, strengthen friendships and bond as a team.
Then, after a well-deserved weekend break, students started the skill and discovery part of the programme led by their NCS team leaders and external professionals. This included Bite the Ballot, a workshop designed for students to discuss issues that affect their community and how they could bring about change. Other workshops included being the judge in an interactive courtroom in “Be the Judge” and a chance to present a TedX talk. For many, the highlight was hearing Hannah Beharry’s story about how learning to box put her on a successful path that resulted in her becoming the first English female to represent her country in the sport. Hannah is part of the Dame Kelly Holmes trust and helps inspire young people to realise their potential.
Taking the skills they had learned, they then focussed on delivering a social action project. The brief was for each team to make a positive impact on their local community in 2 weeks.
