The National Citizen Service Trust is “sad and disappointed” at the government’s decision to close the programme and wind down the organisation, adding that the news has been “deeply upsetting” for its colleagues.

Yesterday, Lisa Nandy, the culture secretary, announced that the government planned to wind down the £1.5bn NCS programme in March next year, with the NCS Trust – the not-for-profit set up by Royal Charter to run the scheme – closing “when parliamentary time allows”. 

Nandy said that while the programme “met the needs of the moment”, the world had changed and a new national youth strategy was needed.

When asked about the closure protocol, a spokesperson for the NCS Trust said: “Because we are established by a Royal Charter and an Act of Parliament, in order to close us down it would require primary legislation to remove the act and revoke the charter."

The NCS Trust has 160 employees whose jobs would appear to be at risk, but the charity said it was still trying to understand how its staff would be affected.

A spokesperson for the trust said: “The secretary of state’s statement made it clear that the organisation will eventually cease to exist. We are now taking time to understand what this means for us and our colleagues.”

In a statement, the organisation said it was “sad and disappointed” by the news, adding: “Every colleague at NCS works tirelessly to support young people to grow their strengths every day. 

“This news is deeply upsetting to each and every one of our colleagues. Please bear with us as we navigate this very difficult time.”

The organisation said it was “immensely proud of the impact we have had for young people”, adding that it had delivered more than one million experiences to young people and participants had taken part in more than 18 million hours of volunteering. 

“As one of the most rigorously evaluated youth initiatives in the country, NCS has consistently been shown to have a positive impact on young people – who report improved wellbeing, greater optimism about the future, increased understanding of those who are different to them, and a greater commitment to get involved in social action and volunteering,” the charity said.

The NCS Trust said there had “never been a more important time for the kind of work that NCS delivers”, saying: “Young people are facing an increasingly uncertain future due to the disproportionate impact of Covid-19 on their generation. The combination of an enduring cost-of-living crisis and the increasing spread of disinformation is sowing discord and division.

“We hope that the government will continue to support youth initiatives with an explicit focus on building a cohesive society, and we stand ready to share our insights and learning as the secretary of state develops her new youth strategy.”

The charity extended its thanks to all the young people who have participated in its work over the years, the NCS Trust’s partners and its colleagues.

“One thing we can all be grateful for is that our vision of ‘a country of connected, confident and caring citizens where everyone feels at home’, will live on long after NCS has gone,” the charity said.