Summer recess is a great time to get out and about across Aldridge-Brownhills, and it has become something of an annual diary event to visit one of the National Citizen Service (NCS) programmes. It is a visit I always greatly enjoy.

This year was no exception and at my recent visit to one of the excellent programmes running this summer I had the opportunity to meet a group of young people and see them planning their social action projects which they will then go on to deliver in conjunction with local community partners across Walsall Borough.

I have long been a supporter of NCS, and through their participation in the programme young people are equipped with new skills, and opportunities to meet new people and experience new challenges. Throughout all of my visits to the NCS I am always impressed by the enthusiasm for the scheme and just how proud everyone is of the work they are doing and the skills they are developing.

Once again I was pleased to see the benefit of NCS in our local area.