Launch of the ‘Summer of a Lifetime’ at House of Lords

Earlier this month, the National Citizens Service ‘Summer of a Lifetime’ project was launched in the House of Lords. The 'Summer of a Lifetime' project enables 16 to 24 year old school leavers to develop life skills through a series of active and exciting outdoor challenges away from home.

Participants will plan, design and deliver social action projects within their local community.

The project Launch was presented by two young people, Mo Ahmet and Matt Hutchins (17), who interviewed Project coordinators as well as other young leaders, myself, athlete Jenna Downing and Baroness Tanni Grey Thompson in front of 200 people.

The most rewarding aspect of work as a mentor is seeing young people progress and having worked on the 2012 Young Leaders project with Matt and Tanya (in photo), I was seriously impressed.

(Photo left: with Nenna Chuku, programme coordinator for DKH Legacy Trust at the Launch; Right: with 2012 Young Leader Tanya)

My role as Midlands Team Leader is to work with City of Wolverhampton College and Stoke on Trent YMCA to facilitate elite athletes to 'create chances for young people'. Athletes will motivate and enable the young adults to develop valuable skills such as teamwork, problem solving, leadership and communication, working alongside v.



11,000 young people are offered the chance to get involved and those who seize the opportunity will benefit themselves and local communities and have a lot of fun in the process.

Yesterday I helped develop the scheme with elite athletes involved in the 12 pilot projects, including Olympic swimmers Adam Whitehead and Ross Davenport; boxers Courtney Fry and Dermott Gascoyne; and BMX champion Mike Mullen. I am really looking forward to working alongside these athletes to get to know the young adults and see them develop this summer.


Follow www.twitter.com/@Summerofalife