Mansfield MP Ben Bradley visited Portland College to talk to young people taking part in the National Citizen Service (NCS) Keep Doing Good programme.

This year’s NCS programme has been very different because of the coronavirus pandemic and the residential aspect has not taken place.

However, young people across Mansfield and Ashfield have still been able to take part in other parts of the programme, including community discussions with Ben.

NCS is open to all 16 and 17 year-olds in England, helping them to build skills for work and life, take on new challenges and meet new friends.

At the end of the course they take part in a team project that helps the local community, such as homeless charities.

Ben said: “It was great to talk to a group of local young people who were talking about our local community.

“I did a question and answer session, talking about their views on local issues, GCSE results and my job as a Member of Parliament and my local priorities for Mansfield and Warsop.

“It was nice to get back to some sort of normality and have great engagement from young people from Mansfield and Ashfield.

“The NCS programme is a really good way to engage and encourage young people to be more aware of their local community and to get involved, helping people, making friends and building confidence.”

Katie Booth, NCS manager, added: “NCS is a fantastic opportunity for the young people in our communities and it is so great to have the Mansfield MP join us on our Keep Doing Good Programme.

“Ben has a good understanding of NCS and the need to ensure we continue to deliver this scheme across the Mansfield and Ashfield area.”