As we promised in our last post, the NCS adventure continues here. On top of rock climbing, abseiling and bushcraft, the 230 teenagers who joined us for Groundwork NCS 2015 also tackled the dizzying heights of the zipline and learnt a new and surprisingly useful skill – dry-stone walling!

The first part of NCS sees participants and staff spending a week at Carlton Lodge in Thirsk. We went up there to catch up with the teams and to bring you an insider’s view of the trip so far…

It’s surprising what you can do with a big pile of rocks, a sharp-edged hammer and a helpful instructor! The 230 Groundwork NCS participants have built this wall from scratch with their very own hands.

Next came the zipline! Many say that the climb up the wooden pole is the scariest part…but others say it’s getting the courage to actually jump off the tiny wooden platform that’s the worst.

We think it all looks pretty challenging! But for our outstanding NCS teams, it was a challenge that they rose to. In fact for some participants, they fancied the added test of jumping upside down!

One of the best team-building activities is rafting. It really does pay for the team to work well together. Why? Because after building the raft from a few barrels, wooden planks and rope, the team have to test it out on the lake! This means that one loose knot can have some very wet results!

And finally, what better way to top off the week at Carlton Lodge than an outdoor BBQ complete with burgers and chips!

Tune in next time for Week 2 of the NCS programme, where the teams move back to Sheffield and spend four nights in university halls of residence.