Oxford United in the Community will host a one-week ‘Moving Forward’ National Citizen Service (NCS) programme this autumn half-term to help teenagers develop key skills and design social action projects that will benefit their local community.

Boys and girls aged 16 and 17 are eligible to enrol in the Government-funded programme which aims to help teenagers establish a clear idea of what they want from their future through the power of independent challenges.

NCS programmes are new to Oxford United in the Community this year after the football club’s official charity was awarded the contract in partnership with the EFL Trust. Oxford United in the Community will join 65 delivery partners that have to date collectively delivered more than 1.8 million hours of voluntary work to address local and national issues such as mental health, the environment and plastic waste.

Oxford United in the Community’s work with the NCS got off to a successful start this summer, as 11 teenagers volunteered their time for the charity to complete the NCS’s Keep Doing Good programme. The two-week programme was designed to tackle loneliness for some of the most isolated individuals living in Oxfordshire. The team created care packages and informative leaflets and spent a combined 175 hours planning and delivering their social action projects in partnership with Age UK Oxford and its Bags of Sunshine project.

Aled Newton, NCS Programme Manager at Oxford United in the Community, joined the charity earlier this year as part of the five-year project in partnership with the NCS and EFL Trust.

He said: “NCS programmes are designed to increase and develop skills such as confidence, teamwork and leadership among young people while benefitting the more vulnerable members of our society through our social action projects.

“Programmes mirror our strategy and key objectives to engage with youngsters and inspire them to be the best they can be. We were delighted with the response and execution of our Keep Doing Good programme this summer and intend to build on that work this October half-term via our Moving Forward project. Next month’s programme will have a particular focus on team and skills building and understanding communities while delivering a social action project on the final day of the course.”

The charity continues to stringently follow Government guidelines concerning the COVID-19 pandemic and reducing its spread. Consequently, spaces on next month’s course are limited.

Aled added: “We are working closely with our partners to ensure the week is COVID-19 secure. That does unfortunately mean spaces are limited; therefore, I would urge anyone interested to get in touch as soon as possible if they are interested in taking part.”

The ‘Moving Forward’ programme will be held at The Oxford Academy and begins on Monday, October 26. For further information and to confirm your spot on the course, please email [email protected]