A TEENAGER from Northwich has been selected from more than 2,000 applicants to sit on a regional youth board for National Citizen Service (NCS), the UK’s fastest growing youth movement.

Kim Dodgshon, an A-level student at Sir John Deane’s Sixth Form College, will represent young people from across the region as part of the Cheshire and Merseyside regional youth board. She will undertake awareness building and fundraising activities for local good causes throughout 2019 and help shape the unique NCS programme for future participants in the area.

To date, almost 500,000 young people across the UK have taken part in NCS, which is delivered regionally by Ingeus, in partnership with local youth organisations.

Kim, who lives in Antrobus, completed this summer’s NCS holiday programme, describing it as completely out of her comfort zone but ‘the best thing I’ve done in years’. She overcame her initial anxiety about being away from home and described the two-week residential as a ‘great stress release after my GSCEs’.

Kim and her team subsequently raised money for Evolve, a not-for-profit organisation providing early intervention and support around substance abuse.

Kim saw what she described as ‘an opportunity to make a bigger difference’ and applied to be a regional youth board member after completing NCS. She was one of around 250 young people selected nationally to form regional youth boards around the country.

The successful youth board applicants all attended Kickstart in half-term; a three-day residential held in Milton Keynes where the NCS graduates had a chance to meet each other and start planning their 2019 activities, which will include social action projects. Kim heard from a range of speakers including from the BBC, the armed forces and North-Pole explorer, Dwayne Fields.

“It was a great few days, really inspirational. We even learned how to cook army rations which was eye-opening – and surprisingly tasty!

“NCS has been amazing,” Kim said. “It provides an exciting but safe and welcoming environment and I’ve made great friends. The regional board members are so diverse, and yet we’re like-minded in that we’re keen to make a difference.”

“I was really pleased to be selected to join the regional youth board and continue my NCS adventure. We’ve already started plans to raise awareness on mental health issues and hope to tour local schools next year to spread the word.”

NCS graduate manager, Beth Kenney said:

“Kim shows brilliant initiative and potential and is a real asset to the regional youth board, always smiling and ready to give back. Kim has also attended champion graduate training to help out with the recruitment teams in Sir John Deane’s and The County High School, Leftwich. She is a brilliant, intelligent and well-informed graduate. It’s a pleasure to be working with such inspirational young people from across the region.”

NCS is a government-backed programme open to all 16 and 17 year-olds across England and Northern Ireland. It aims to increase social mobility, cohesion and engagement, instilling valuable life skills and the opportunity to support community initiatives. There are nineteen Regional Youth Boards across the country.