Teens help out YMCA Wellington with a lick of paint and bug houses
Handy teens on the National Citizen Service programme have been renovating a YMCA base in Wellington.
More than 20 teenagers taking part in the National Citizen Service (NCS), aged 16 and 17, stepped in to re-decorate the YMCA at Consort House, which has helped young men since 1859.
They have been working in two teams, one of them painting and decorating the indoor and outdoor spaces while the other raised money to build bug houses.
One participant, Dayna Tyrer, 16 and from Telford, finished her studies at Thomas Telford School and wanted a fun way to spend the summer before heading back to sixth form.
She said: “Taking part in NCS this summer has been brilliant. It has really built up my confidence and I’ve met some great new friends.
"We’re having a fabulous summer thanks to NCS and so for our social action project it felt right to try and help other young people that are perhaps less fortunate. We’ve tried hard to make the YMCA accommodation friendly and welcoming, both inside and out.”
Chief executive of Wellington YMCA, Mandie Mulloy, said: “The energy and commitment shown by the NCS teams has been tremendous. Everyone has been keen to learn about the work we do here at YMCA and has been eager to help, staying on longer to get more done.
“We rely heavily on volunteer help and couldn’t have readied our new accommodation so quickly without the NCS teams’ input. They have made a huge impact, which will be appreciated by many other young people using the facilities in the future.”
NCS is delivered regionally by APM. NCS is open to all 16 and 17 year olds and costs £50 or less to take part.
To find out more about NCS and to register, visit ncsyes.co.uk
