STUDENTS have helped out in the community with a care home garden renovation.

A group of 15 to 17-year-olds from Bradford have been taking part in the community project at a local care home.

As part of their National Citizenship Service (NCS) programme, the students have also been on a residential camping trip and stayed on a university campus.

They are currently working on a community project to help residents at Walmer Lodge, Manningham.

Walmer Lodge is a care home for people aged between 18 and 80, who have learning disabilities and mental health concerns.

As part of the project, they have been improving the garden by tidying it and creating a sensory experience by using fragrant and tactile plants as well as including wind chimes and bird feeders. One student on the NCS programme, Dominic Chapple, described the importance of improving the care home to benefit those in need.

“It is important to help at the home because there is a bad stigma towards people with mental health issues and disabilities, it is a way to help them and give back,” he said.

Also, as part of the programme, the team have been on a residential camping trip where the young adults participated in a 12km hike, climbing challenges and various team-building activities.

After this, they stayed at university accommodation in Leeds for a week where they took part in public speaking seminars and presentations. Whilst staying in the accommodation, they also had to cook and clean for themselves in the evenings.

NCS is a youth programme aiming to engage young adults within the community, as well as inspiring them to push themselves out of their comfort zones and achieve things they would not normally accomplish.

Dominic described how the programme had taught him many life skills and expressed the importance of continuing to work on those skills after he had completed the NCS programme.

“You learn things you don’t learn in school; I want to continue them on to help in society,” he said.