A TEENAGER from Port Sunlight will represent youngsters from across Merseyside and Cheshire as part of National Citizen Service (NCS).

Cleo Parker, 17, has been appointed to the national NCS board to help shape the programme for participants in the area.

The Wirral Grammar School for Girls student's NCS adventure first began when she saw a presentation during an assembly and jumped at the chance to take part in summer 2017.

Since then Cleo has helped raise cash for Clatterbridge Cancer Charity, renovated a school playground in Chester and highlighted the issue of homelessness by interviewing and filming local people.

Before being elected to the national board Cleo was part of the regional board and recently returned from Leaders Week in London.

Cleo told the Globe: “NCS has given me so much confidence and helped me become more independent.

"Before the programme, I hated giving presentations and now I offer to do them! I’ve really bonded with the teams I’ve worked with and have made some great friends along the way.

“I’m honoured to be chosen to represent the young people of my region on a national scale. I want to help them access exciting opportunities and gain as much as I have.

"I’ve also pledged to do more to tackle homelessness which is certainly a big regional issue. I can’t wait to get started.”

To date almost 500,000 young people across the UK have taken part in NCS.

NCS graduate manager for Merseyside and Cheshire, Beth Kenney said: "The national youth board is hugely important as it enables growth in all areas of NCS with direct support from graduates.

"We would like our young people to develop programmes in their local areas so they gain an awareness of their communities and where they’d like to support and grow.

"Their direct input allows us to work on the programme from a local level upwards, ensuring NCS is built for, by and with our young people.”

For more information about NCS visit https://www.ncsingeus.co.uk/