At the later end of October 2022 our staff team set off with 15 young people to Weardale Adventure centre in Bishop Auckland.

During their time there the young people did 3 days full of outdoor activities, including kayaking, rock climbing, archery tag, gorge walking and adventure courses. Each night we were treated with home cooked meals by the welcoming centre staff accompanied with evening activities such as a movie night, group quiz and outdoor challenges!

The young people had a great time and we discussed as a group that it was amazing to get away from the hustle and bustle of city life and enjoy the fresh air, open spaces and gorgeous views the great British countryside has to offer.

After the residential visit the young people had a couple of days off and then met up again at Mortimer Community Centre to complete phase 2 of NCS. Over three days they completed workshops on life skills such as presentation/interview skills, cooking, exploring your local community & having a voice in society. During these sessions the young people decided as part of phase 3 (Social action) that they would be raising money and awareness for refugees & asylum seekers in the North East.

During the following four Saturdays, the young people planned how they were going to raise money. It was agreed that a sponsored walk was going to be completed from “Shore2Shore”. The group walked 6.5 miles from South Shields lighthouse to Roker lighthouse, signifying the journey many refugees go on to get to the UK as well as ‘shining a light’ on the lack of support many get when they arrive.

The group raised over £450 for their cause and decided to use that money to create Christmas support bags for those staying in refugee hotels. These packages contained blankets, Christmas treats, food, notepads, toiletries & every essential items. Overall the Autumn NCS programme was a great success with many memories and friendships made by all young people