TEENAGERS taking part in a government-backed project met with their MP to tell her about their experiences.

Basingstoke MP Maria Miller met up with young people taking part in the National Citizen Service (NCS) scheme to learn about what they have been doing as part of the programme.

Maria met the teenagers who were designing and planning a fundraising project and had to pitch to a Dragon’s Den style panel to secure a loan to seed fund their project.

The MP sat on the panel for two teams, one who was running a car wash to raise funds for Ashcombe Care Home in Worting Road and the other who was baking and upcycling furniture to raise funds to help regenerate a community garden for Inspero.

The Basingstoke MP said: “The National Citizen Service gives young people a fantastic opportunity to get involved in new and challenging activities, grow in confidence, get new skills for work and life, work together as a team to plan and deliver a project to benefit their community, and to meet new people. From talking to the participants today, it is also clear that they are having a great time and would thoroughly recommend the scheme to friends and family.

“It is great news that the National Citizen Service is going from strength to strength in Basingstoke.”