In year 11 or 12? Enjoy a fun and life-changing summer to remember this year!

Last year, a group of young people from across the country came together to have one of the most fun and rewarding experiences of their lives.

Summer of a Lifetime is an amazing programme that gives year 11 and 12 students who’ve finished their school studies the chance to enjoy a summer jam-packed full of fun activities - trying new things, setting up community projects, learning new skills and making friends for life.

The young people who took part in last year’s Summer of a Lifetime recently paid a visit to our office in London and I decided to take the opportunity to ask them: why was Summer of a Lifetime such a life-changing experience?

Here are the inspiring thoughts of one of the participants, Linda....

This might sound dramatic or whatever but before last summer, if someone had asked me: “can volunteering change lives?” I would probably have said “no”, but this programme has allowed me to witness first-hand the difference that volunteering can make to others - and yourself.

I remember the first day that I met the people in my NCS team. We were all so different, coming from various backgrounds and I couldn’t really picture what type of team we’d be. But by the end of the second week we already felt like a kind of family (sorry for the cheesiness)!

The Summer of a Lifetime experience has changed all of our lives in a positive way - especially for one guy from my group whose life was completely transformed by the programme.

He told me about how he was at the edge of a gang, mixing with people he shouldn’t have. He felt he had nowhere to turn, so when a youth worker approached him about the Summer of a Lifetime programme he knew that this might be a chance to turn things around. He was pretty sceptical and a bit scared, but decided to join anyway - a decision that proved to be one of the best he ever made.

Now, when I think of all the people that I met during the Summer of a Lifetime experience, I can’t help but smile. And now whenever anyone asks, I say: “Yes, volunteering can definitely change lives - and it can change yours too.

Have a summer to remember this year. If you're currently in year 11, sign up to Summer of a Lifetime now!