A teenager was selected for a placement at a leading bank after supporting the community on a citizenship programme.

Mansi Thakkar, 17 was selected by Santander for the six week placement after showcasing skills she developed on the youth empowerment programme of the National Citizen Service.

On the NCS Ms Thakkar led a social action project in Harrow and Brent with a team of others, which was successful enough to impress the bosses at Santander.

She said: "Gaining work experience within the Santander group has allowed me to improve my employability skills by shadowing current employees and has helped me to develop and overview of various divisions within the bank.

"It also has helped me by providing me with an insight into what a career in finance is like. It has also bolstered my CV I am hoping will help me to stand out to future employers too.”

She added she felt more confident about her future after the work placement and loved having the chance to develop her skills further.

The NCS and Santander have an ongoing partnership which allows a select few graduates on the youth programme to try their hand at banking.

More than 100,000 young people took part in NCS youth programmes in 2017.