NCS Hants (National Citizen Service) has confirmed that it will hold its regional graduation ceremony at Bournemouth International Centre on Thursday 19 November 2015.
This is the first time the event has come to Bournemouth, bringing more than 1,200 16-17 year-olds together to celebrate new found skills, friendships, social action projects and community spirit.
The NCS programme encourages independence and responsibility among young people in a fun, exciting and challenging environment. It gives them the chance to explore new experiences, learn new skills and meet new people. This helps discover their own talents and realise their potential while having fun. The programme, and the skills and experiences gained by NCS graduates, are now recognised positively by employers and educational institutions alike.
The under-graduates spend a week away from home in Falmouth, The Gower or Croyde, taking part in adrenaline-fuelled, team activities like surfing, coasteering, kayaking, gorge walking and power boating. They spend a further week learning to fend for themselves and add valuable life skills to build out their CV.
Community and social projects provide the focus for understanding people’s needs and issues from all walks of life, while developing a sense of teamwork, leadership and communication, as well as more specialist skills like photography, editing or running a business. They then get to put all that into practice, choosing, planning and executing their own social action project.
Their experience culminates in a graduation ceremony like no other, where they simply have fun looking back over all they’ve achieved and partying all evening with their family and new friends. There’ll be videos of graduates in action, and the social projects they’ve made happen, plus bands, DJs, entertainers and lots of dancing. Every graduate gets to take home a certificate signed by Prime Minister David Cameron.
“The NCS is a fantastic thing for young people to get involved in,”
says BH Live Director of Venues Pat Coyne.
“We’re going to have a lot fun making it an experience they’ll remember all their lives. We’re really looking forward to it and finding out more about how the NCS graduates have been making a difference to society and gaining the confidence to make their own way in the world.”
Since it was piloted in 2011, more than 130,000 NCS graduates have given over three million hours of their time to some great social projects, from revamping skate parks and charity fundraising to afternoon tea with the elderly and social enterprises.
“This year is set to be our biggest graduation ever, with almost 4,000 people due to celebrate the efforts and achievements of over 1,200 young people,”
says NCS Hants Media Manager Ellie Probert.
“It’s impossible to tell at this stage how many waves will be surfed, what social action projects will be delivered, and how much money will be raised. What I can tell you is that we’ve got an incredible summer ahead of us and we’ve got a lot in store for the graduation on 19 November 2015.”
Ends
Notes to the editor
Bournemouth International Centre is operated by BH Live in partnership with Bournemouth Borough Council.
About BH Live
BH Live is the South Coast’s leading operator of leisure and event venues – a social enterprise that designs and builds engaging experiences to inspire people and enrich lives. With over 2.5 million visits a year and over £31 million turnover, the organisation is changing lives – placing it at the heart of the UK’s growing social economy.
In 2013/14, BH Live hosted 423 shows, sold over half a million cultural, sporting and entertainment tickets, clocked up 1.8 million leisure centre visits and welcomed 88,000 conference and exhibition delegates which contributed over £45 million to the local economy.
For further press information:
Elizabeth Symmons
PR & Corporate Communications Executive, BH Live
Elizabeth.Symmons@bhlive.co.uk
01202 451866