YORK and North Yorkshire school leavers have the chance to learn new skills and do something for their community under a new scheme that starts this summer.

The National Citizen Service (NCS) courses will include two residential weeks, outdoor challenges, group activities and designing a project to benefit the participants’ local area. Places are free.

In York, the scheme will be run with The Prince’s Trust and Babcock Enterprise and will start on July 4.

Sam Kennedy, Prince’s Trust regional director for Yorkshire and the Humber, said: “All too often young people are viewed negatively by society. National Citizen Service will give York’s young people the chance to prove that they can and do make a positive impact in their community.”

“It will also give young people the chance to make new friends.”

Any student in Year 11 can apply to be one of the 11,000 nationwide who will take part in the scheme. For more information, visit princes-trust.org.uk/ncs or phone 0800 842 842.