Is NCS still alive?

[cascott42]

Are people going on the NCS scheme this summer? My son signed up back in Feb (£50 this year), and we've had a few emails from engage4life, (who seem to be running it in our area), asking if he's still interested.

We've replied to these, but then another arrives, suggesting that they didn't hear from us, and I've tried ringing a couple of times, but the right person for our area is never available to talk to us. I got one reply saying that we'd be hearing more soon, in mid June, but we heard nothing yet, and now there's no response again when I emailed asking when we'll be hearing something.

I'm nervous now, even if they do get in touch, about how well organised any trip might be...I can see on here that the scheme has run in the past, but does anyone else have similar experience with NCS/engage4life? Did it eventually run? If not, did you get your money back? This wasn't the experience I had hoped for, for my son :-(

DD1 has just come back from her first two weeks and had a fabulous time. The weeks away themselves are very well organised, but the admin is really chaotic to get you there - they told me they had sent me a code to access the site, they hadn't, but gave it to me on the spot, which meant I could sort out registration, choose weeks and a pick up point, and once that was done, it was reasonably plain sailing, although I did have to nag on the phone for details of where the pick up point was exactly, and what time she had to be there.

I would suggest you call them tomorrow - keep hanging on until someone answers you. Alternatively, if you are in Central London, PM me, and I'll give you the phone number and email of the person I dealt with, who was very helpful.

dd is at the end of her second week - although there were lots of dates to choose from, so some of her friends haven't started yet.
Run by 'The Challenge' in our area.
This is my 2nd dc to go on it - to be fair, organisation isn't the best, but once they get there, the experience is good. Certainly worth chasing up.
Have they taken your payment?

Ours was run by The Challenge. DD1 had the first week at the PGL place near Weymouth and the second in Guildford. They seem to pick proximity to school rather than home address - a friend of mine gave up, as they wanted to send her child on NCS near York, where her DD is at school, rather than Bucks, where they live. It got too difficult for them to grasp.

Thanks for all the replies :-), and nice to know that something has been happening in other areas.

They certainly took my payment back in Feb (I checked), and the phone does get answered when I call them, but by someone who isn't the person for our area; they say that she'll call me back, but she doesn't...
Back in February I had several calls from them for my son during the day, and had to keep explaining that he was at school on weekdays (seemed quite odd that they couldn't seem to understand that, and kept trying again half an hour later!).

I'll try them again tomorrow - thanks again.

I've had several emails. They always seemed to phone when I was doing the school run.
I now have a name and number for him.
I have been sent details and asked to a parents meeting. DD starts 10th August.