Orange RockCorps and National Citizen Service Join Forces for Graduation Party

CAB 200-11
25 October 2011

National Citizen Service (NCS) graduates from across England will be celebrating their significant personal and community achievements tonight at a graduation party produced by Orange RockCorps.  TV personality Alex Zane will host hundreds of NCS participants at the O2 Islington Academy, with seven acts lined up to entertain including Yasmin, Sunday Girl and top DJ MistaJam. 

The event will give something back to NCS graduates, recognising their outstanding accomplishments and social action contributions during the first NCS pilots this summer.  The young people dedicated over 240,000 hours this summer to improving their communities in projects ranging from fundraising and re-vamping their local parks, to volunteering in old people’s homes and improving community safety.

NCS aims to promote a more cohesive, responsible and engaged society by bringing young people from different backgrounds together to make a difference in their communities.  It is a voluntary programme for 16-year-olds focusing on their personal and social development which includes challenging activities, from away-from-home residential experiences to a self-designed social action project.

Nick Hurd, Minister for Civil Society said

“We are absolutely delighted to be able to host a NCS graduation party thanks to Orange RockCorps.  It is an excellent opportunity to acknowledge the wonderful achievements of the young people involved in the scheme this summer and thank them for their positive contributions delivered to their local communities via their social action programmes.  I’ve certainly been extremely impressed by all the projects I have visited and with 30,000 participants set to benefit next year, the powerful impact NCS has on our young people, their skills and the society we live in will only continue to grow.”

Stephen Greene, CEO of RockCorps added

“When we were asked to produce a celebration party for NCS, the answer was an easy yes.  Getting youth engaged in the community is core to our DNA.  So, we are happy to lend a hand. I had the opportunity this summer to visit several of the projects sites for NCS. The project works. There are so many great youth projects going across the country and now, in addition, there are many great non-profit providers who are executing NCS and we commend them all.  For the party, we want to thank cc-Lab, Graphite Media , Alex Zane and all of the artists for giving their time to a great event.  Whatever Orange RockCorps can do to support the NCS goal of 30,000 participants next year, we will do.”

ENDS

Notes to Editors

1. The Prime Minister announced National Citizen Service in July 2010
2. More than 8,000 participants across England completed National Citizen Service in 2011.
3. Nineteen service providers have been selected to run National Citizen Service (NCS) pilots in 2012. Negotiations are currently under way with other potential NCS service providers and we expect to make further announcements shortly. 
4. The Orange RockCorps programme, a partnership between Orange and RockCorps, inspires young people to volunteer within their local community by producing concerts for which you can't buy a ticket.  Rather, you must do 4 hours of volunteer work in a RockCorps volunteer project to earn a ticket to the gig. All volunteer projects are completed in partnership and for the benefit of local charity partners. Research has shown that over 96% of the participants would volunteer with Orange RockCorps again, and 57% would volunteer in their local community without the incentive of a ticket.  Orange RockCorps also operates the Orange RockCorps Collective a year round volunteering incentive programme that promotes volunteering throughout the UK wherever, whenever.

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