Dozens of public-spirited youngsters in Burton and South Derbyshire are lending a helping hand to vulnerable members of society - thanks to a national Government initiative.

The National Citizen Service is gaining momentum in the area, with scores of teenagers getting involved and making a real difference in their communities.

Teams of teens have been pitching in together to offer much-needed support to people who need it most. NCS groups in the area have already helped siblings of stillborn babies, elderly people in care homes and the homeless.

Their hard work has not gone unnoticed by the organisation, either. A NCS spokesman said: "We are delighted with the number of teenagers that signed up to NCS in East Staffordshire and South Derbyshire this summer. The teenagers have come together to deliver some really impressive social action projects to help local causes.

"There are still places left on the autumn NCS programme so other 15 to 17 year olds from the region can register now to come up with creative ways and help their local communities during half term, whilst forming new friendships and learning new skills."

Now, the NCS is calling for more teens to get involved and help to become better citizens, making their communities a better place in the process.

One of the teams making headlines this summer was NCS New Light, who carried out pioneering work to support the siblings of stillborn babies.

The team presented their memory boxes to staff at Queen's Hospital on Friday, August 18

The group of 15 teenagers worked alongside Burton's Queen's Hospital to create 40 memory boxes to preserve precious memories of stillborn children.

A spokesman for Queen's Hopsital said: "A number of the sibling memory boxes have been distributed to teenagers. They will have made a big impact on how they feel about the situation. It won't make the situation any better but it will hopefully give them some comfort that they have come away with something to remember their sibling by."

The hospital has also benefited from another group of teens hoping to help people in need. This time, the group set out to create an Invisible Illness Garden to highlight illnesses that are hidden from view, including diabetes, arthritis and mental health issues.

Staff from the hospital say they have been extremely grateful for the help from young people across the area, thanking them via social media for all their hard work.

The team created the garden outside Burton's Queen's Hospital

The National Citizen Service, which has been set up by the Government, is open to all 16 and 17-year-olds in England and more than 275,000 young people have already taken part in the scheme since it was launched in 2011.

The four-week summer programme consists of a two-week residential stay where the teams carry out team-building activities and build on various life skills.

The second two weeks are what is known as 'social action'. The group can choose any area of their community they would like to improve over the final two weeks.

People sleeping rough have also been helped by the groups in the area, as one group of teens carrying out the programme made hygiene packs to give out to people in need.

They teamed up with Burton HOPE to create 40 bags, filled with cleaning products, such as soap, face wipes and sanitary products.

Street pastors have been handing the packs out to those sleeping on the streets, hoping they will make a difference.

The group handed their bags to John and Lewis Anderson, right, for Burton Hope to hand out to the town's rough sleepers

Lewis Anderson from Burton Hope said: “We were absolutely thrilled to receive the hygiene and sanitary products for the rough sleepers in Burton from the NCS group, but not nearly as pleased as those who have already received them.

“It was wonderful to see such enthusiasm for a good, local cause and I’m glad that their efforts have paid off for those sleeping rough.”

It’s not just those in need who have benefited from the scheme. The Little Forest Project in Outwoods was given a helping hand by a group of teenagers, giving the project, which launched in March, a well-needed boost.

The group were joined by Lawrence Oates, John Anderson, Lewis Anderson and Nathan Barnett

Lawrence Oates, chairman of the Little Forest Project said: "On behalf of the Little Forest committee I would like to thank the team who have spent a week working with me, helping to establish a new outdoor teaching area in Outwoods.

"I am a long-time believer in the importance of outdoor education and this will allow the project to take a big step forward to creating a vital new learning resource that will be open to all ages and abilities."

Another group of teens made it their mission to spread smiles across Burton and South Derbyshire by carrying out random good deeds, after raising more than £1,200 through bag packing and car washes.

Emelia Joyce, Helen Chamberlain, Clara Elton, Laila Chaplin, Ellie-Mae Redfern, Ethan Wilson, Hamzah Masood, Arun Banwait, Maia Rigby, Ellie Shillito, Aleesha Johal and Sophie Thorp handed £1,000 to the RSPCA on Tuesday

NCS Prosperity donated £1,000 to the RSPCA in Derby, and used the rest of the money to put a smile on the faces of people in Burton. They handed out flowers and bags of sweets to unsuspecting shoppers, putting money into parking meters and vending machines and giving out kind messages to strangers.

The National Citizen Service is urging people to enrol and make their CVs stand out from the rest.

What is the National Citizen Service?

The National Citizen Service, which has been set up by the government, is open to all 15 and 17-year-olds in England.

Schemes run in the spring, summer and autumn, bringing together young people from different backgrounds. It encourages personal and social development whilst teaching teens important life skills.

Participants are expected to create and develop a social action project to deal with a local issue they are passionate about and spend 30 hours putting the project into action within their community.

More than 275,000 young people have already taken part in the scheme, since it was launched in 2011.

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