I acted as one of the four dragons yesterday in a Dragon’s Den event for the National Citizen’s Service ( NCS) . NCS involves children from different backgrounds spending three weeks together on a residential course for the first week. Then getting involved with a local charity or good cause and then raising money and devising a project to help their particular cause.
It was the brainchild of David Cameron and I was at the launch of it before the 2010 election as it was launched by David Cameron as something he would introduce if elected. Of course it is easy to criticise the scheme but I do think it brings enormous benefits. It helps young people from affluent backgrounds mix with those from poorer backgrounds and it teaches the students how important it is to try and help each other.
Yesterday the young people were in five teams and they were pitching to be awarded up to £50 to help them with the project they had devised to help their charity. Two were helping refugees, two were helping restore the War Memorial and Park at Boggart Hole Clough in Manchester and one team was helping Communicate. They were all very impressive and I have no doubt all the young people will benefit enormously from taking part.
David Nuttall 
My son did NCS and thoroughly enjoyed it, but with 3 very different activities over just 3 weeks, I find it hard to believe that it makes much of an impact to the lives of the participants. From my son’s cohort at school, it was mainly the middle class kids that took advantage of NCS.
What is the cost per participant?
What measurable return is there on this investment?
Will it survive Dave’s departure, as NCS is a vestigial remnant of the “Big Society” that Dave once promoted and was rightly ridiculed for.
Hi, I am sure a quick check in the government accounts and annual reports will give you the information you seek about cost. I am not sure how you can measure the outcome of a scheme like this. As you are a Liberal Democrat it is worth noting that the Liberal Democrats fully supported the scheme when it was introduced. I believe NCS will definitely survive the departure of David Cameron as the whole NCS scheme is to be put on a statutory basis as announced in the Queen’s Speech.