NCS Volunteers at Oakdale

NCS is a life-changing programme open to all teenagers aged 15-17 to discover who they are and what they can do. NCS is a four-phase programme specifically designed to provide a variety of new experiences. It is run over a 4 week period, 2 of the weeks being a residential trip. 1.Adventure – Outdoor Pursuits, 2.Discovery – skills for independent living, 3.Social Action – A community project run by the students, 4.Celebration – Dinner and awards ceremony.

The group of 15 school leavers that contacted us wanted to volunteer and help at their local care home. On the Tuesday and Wednesday the students visited Oakdale to talk through their ideas with us and spent time planning in our beautiful Garden. On Thursday their activities and ideas were put into action, they split into smaller groups for a varied range of activities. In the morning they held arts & crafts and bubble blowing in the garden, painting an amazing picture for our home. In the main lounge and dining room they played a variety of board games, chatted and spent time with many of our residents. In the afternoon they held a good old fashioned Knees up with our Karaoke machine in the lounge and with another group continued with arts and crafts in the garden. On Friday morning they all returned to present Oakdale with a care package of fun items that our residents would enjoy and the Painting for our home.  All our residents had a wonderful time and all joined in an activity as there was something for everyone. They love to meet new people and we are passionate at keeping links with our local community. The students were all amazing and did a wonderful job.