Last year, Leeds Rhinos Foundation won the contract to deliver National Citizen Service (NCS) to thousands of young people from across the local region aged 16 and 17.
The NCS experience will give participants the opportunity to develop the confidence and skills they need to become more engaged with their communities and become active and responsible citizens, whilst having an amazing, action-packed experience.
Each wave of the programme runs for four weeks- two of which are in an outdoor, residential environment and two based in Leeds, designing, implementing and carrying out a social action project within the community. Young people who complete the programme will attend a glittering graduation ceremony at Emerald Headingley and receive a certificate signed by the Prime Minister.
Meet our dedicated NCS team who will be offering and delivering the unique four-week programme to hundreds of young people:
MICHAEL WOOLDRIDGE
Mick joined Leeds Rhinos Foundation as NCS Manager in November 2019. His role requires him to manage the whole NCS programme from recruiting young people through to their graduation event. We are contracted to deliver 260 places during summer and another 45 places during the autumn.
Previously, Mick worked for the EFL Trust managing their NCS programmes across Yorkshire and Humberside. This involved working with several football club’s trusts and third sector organisations, supporting their delivery of the NCS programme. He carried out this role for 6 years, and before that he worked as a Youth Work Manager at Leeds City Council for 25 years.
Mick has also done voluntary work with various youth organisations across the city and worked as a part-time tutor at Leeds Beckett University on their youth and community degree course.
ARCHIE MOSS
Archie joined the Foundation as a NCS Co-ordinator in November 2019, with 4 years’ NCS experience having previously worked as an Engagement Coordinator for a different NCS provider in Leeds. He has a wealth of knowledge regarding the programme, youth work and engagement.
As part of his role, Archie is responsible for establishing lines of communication with several schools and colleges in the area; arranging events in order to promote and recruit for the Foundation’s NCS programme.
Along with the rest of our NCS team, Archie will be designing and managing the delivery of all elements of the NCS programme, including two residentials and the social action projects to help benefit the community.
DAVID O'ROURKE
David also joined the Foundation as an NCS Co-ordinator in November 2019 following a summer season recruiting for NCS in schools across West Yorkshire.
David’s role covers all aspects of the NCS Programme. Like Archie, his primary role is engaging with schools across Leeds to help with recruiting students for the Foundation’s NCS programme in the run up to summer; alongside local inclusion events. From July, he will be going out on residentials and helping to manage two waves of the programme, co-ordinating large groups of young people and their team-leaders.
Aside from his work with the Foundation, David is also involved in other community projects around Leeds and works with the RNIB Youth Group, which he hopes to get involved with the NCS programme.