Andover Leisure Centre has become the first leisure centre to run the government’s National Citizen Service (NCS) scheme.

The leisure centre, managed by Valley Leisure Ltd, became the first to run the scheme instead of a youth-focused organisation in an effort to develop new partnerships in the community and strengthen relationships with local schools.

The NCS is a government-funded scheme for 16- and 17-year olds across the country, which aims to give teenagers new skills and confidence at an important age.

The scheme began with a week of outdoor activities including raft-building and high ropes, then in the second week the youngsters lived in University halls, looking after themselves and keeping to a budget. The third and final week saw the students planning and delivering social action projects to benefit their community.

“These activities really helped get everyone out of their shells and start making new friends,” said James Blyth, assistant manager of sports and activity development for Valley Leisure. “It’s clear that the students gained far more from the process than they initially anticipated.”