March 10, 2015 4.15 pm This story is over 108 months old

Teen volunteers transform Lincoln community

Voluntary action: Teenagers from Lincoln volunteered in their local community as part of a National Citizen Service (NCS) organised event.
National Citizen Service volunteers in Lincoln

Enthusiastic teenagers from Lincoln gave up their time to transform their local community as part of a National Day of Action organised by National Citizen Service (NCS).

Projects in Lincoln on March 7 ranged from raising money for When You Wish Upon a Star to creating a wildlife area at Boultham Park.

The group of 50 teens worked alongside partners including Linkage Community Trust.

The NCS is a government-supported voluntary scheme for 15-17 year-olds in England and Wales which sees participants taking part in a community-backed project.

In Lincolnshire, 5500 have taken part in the programme to date, dedicating 165,000 hours to their communities.

One of those is 18-year-old Ollie Baldam from Lincoln, who was a leader of the project.

He said: “It’s great to have a day in the calendar which encourages everyone to come together and have a positive impact on their community.

“For me, this was an opportunity to reconnect with friends I met on NCS and do something that not only helps the local area, but gives us a chance to continue volunteering in a fun and really practical way.”

Amy Barnett, Graduate Officer for NCS EM1, added: “We were so pleased to see so many NCS graduates coming back to help make NCS Action Day a success in Lincolnshire.

“The volume of voluntary projects taking place on one day really shows that young people today are not disengaged as often portrayed, but compassionate and eager to make a difference.”