NCS The Challenge

About NCS The Challenge

Top up your student loan and take a step into the charity sector this summer with NCS!

The Challenge is the UK’s leading social integration charity, and the largest provider of NCS (National Citizen Service), a government-backed initiative with a mission to engage and empower 15-17 year olds, and provide them with the skills, confidence and support they need to make a real difference in their local communities.

Running from late June to early September, our NCS summer programme provides the experience of a lifetime to over 30,000 young people each year. Over 3 or 4 weeks, teams of 15-17 year olds will stay away from home, bond with their teams and challenge themselves through outdoor activities (including kayaking, abseiling and hiking), learn a range of new skills and engage with different community groups, visiting respite centres, care homes, homeless shelters and more. Their NCS journeys conclude with teams designing and delivering a series of meaningful social action projects in their hometowns.

In 2019, The Challenge will be hiring over 4,000 seasonal staff to work on, and support the delivery of, our NCS summer programme. With a range of short- and long-term positions in youth work, SEND and inclusion support, and entry-level project management, we’re bound to have the perfect role to fill up your summer break.

Join us as a Team Mentor, and lead a team of young people through all 3 or 4 weeks of the programme , encouraging them to take part to their full potential, leading a range of activities and pushing each young person out of their comfort zones. This partly-residential role is perfect for gaining invaluable youth work, leadership and behaviour management experience.

Looking for a more long-term role? Develop your professional skills in one of our project management roles. Join one of our regional offices and put your organisation and communication skills to the test as a Programme Administrator, working behind-the-scenes to keep the NCS programme running, or stay residentially on-site throughout the summer delivery period as a Community Logistics Manager, project managing the day-to-day logistics of the programme and managing the relationship between NCS and one of our accommodation providers.

All of our seasonal staff are provided with role training and DBS checks, and can take advantage of our Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) as part of our commitment to health, welfare and disability support. The Challenge is an equal opportunities provider and can provide reasonable adjustments wherever possible to support your application and experience on the programme. Find out more on our website.