Shropshire Youth Support Trust are now delivering a new community experience programme funded by NCS (National Citizen Service) that will support young people across Telford & Wrekin over the next 2 years.

The grant is part of a significant £20m funding package that NCS Trust have awarded to organisations across England for the delivery of community-based experiences at a local and grassroots level, and Shropshire Youth Support Trust are receiving over £130,000 to deliver their programme locally within their county.

These new experiences will complement NCS’ existing away from home residential offer by providing more opportunities for teenagers to engage in local activities that foster skills development, deepen their understanding of the community, and empower them to contribute positively to its improvement.  The grants will also support organisations that cater to specific groups of young people who may not have participated in previous NCS initiatives. 

In collaboration with the National Youth Agency and StreetGames, NCS assessed more than 400 applications and Shropshire Youth Support Trust was selected as one of around 100 organisations to receive funding. 

The grant will allow SYST to deliver support services for young people aged between 16 & 17, and the charity have recently recruited a highly skilled new team member, Terri Evans, to assist with delivering this new programme. 

Richard Nuttall, CEO at SYST, said: “This is fantastic news for our charity and local area. It is a significant grant that enables us to provide greater levels of support for local young people in Telford & Wrekin. We greatly appreciate this support and recognition from the NCS Trust.”

Mark Gifford, CEO of NCS Trust, added: “I am delighted to welcome a diverse range of local, grassroots and community organisations from across the youth sector to deliver reimagined NCS experiences. This allows us to reach more young people than ever before, ensuring they are equipped with the skills and perspective to become work ready and world ready. Additionally, our grants for targeted experiences will enable us to reach underserved young people and communities.”

Gifford added, “Together, we will work towards creating a country of confident, connected, caring citizens where everyone feels at home.”

Over the past decade, more than 800,000 young people have benefitted from an NCS experience, dedicating over 18 million hours to community based social action, while gaining invaluable life experiences.

For more information about Shropshire Youth Support Trust and the work that the charity does to support young people in Shropshire, please visit their website systbusiness.co.uk 

Pictured, Richard Nuttall, CEO of SYST alongside the High Sheriff of Shropshire, Mandy Thorn, and Terri Evans from SYST.