KEY+ Stories

Through The Key to Find Your Spark, a band at The Bunker called Antiquity turned their passion for music into Anchorfest, a mini festival bringing local artists together to support Sunderland Soup Kitchen and RNLI. With a £500 budget, the group took the lead in organising the event, working with industry professionals, creating merchandise and giving newer artists the chance to perform live.

Fit Mind Boxing Warriors turned their passion for boxing into an opportunity to explore new experiences, build confidence and think about their futures. Through The Key to Find Your Spark, the group planned a trip to another boxing club in Sheffield, challenged themselves through pitching and planning, and explored where their passion could take them - from competitive boxing to future coaching opportunities.

Mermaid for Each Other used KEY+ to bring their shared love of anime and K-pop to life through Anime Attacks, an inclusive beach-themed convention. From creative activities and performances to quizzes, cosplay and local stallholders, the event brought people together while helping the group build confidence, communication and organisational skills.

The Bilton Bros completed three KEY+ projects, bringing their community together through a Christmas celebration, transforming a local outdoor space and organising a community fun day. Along the way, they built confidence, developed new skills and discovered what they could achieve when trusted to take the lead.

The Deaf Centre Youth Group at SVP Deaf Centre in Newcastle used KEY+ to turn their ideas into action, creating a video podcast to raise awareness of the deaf community. Through planning, filming and editing their project, the young people developed their confidence, teamwork and communication skills while using voices to share what matter to them.

Through The Key to Find Your Spark, Antiquity had the opportunity to step outside their usual music space at The Bunker and experience the wider North East music scene. From attending gigs and discovering new venues to meeting musicians and connecting with someone from a record label, their Stage 1 project helped them build confidence, expand their network and discover new possibilities within the music industry.

Discover how The Quacker Ducks used the KEY+ Challenge to support refugee and asylum-seeking children across Gateshead. By creating fully stocked pencil cases and launching a community donation appeal, the group combined teamwork, compassion and careful planning to help ensure local children feel prepared, included and ready to start the new school year with confidence.

Discover how the Soul Sisters grew in confidence, built new friendships and developed valuable life skills through our KEY+ Transitions programme. From planning and budgeting for their own day out to making independent decisions and stepping outside their comfort zones, the group’s journey shows how small moments can make a big difference when settling into secondary school.

Discover how Work Hard, Be KEY, Aspire used the KEY+ Challenge to recognise the everyday acts of kindness that often go unnoticed. By creating a kindness award for pupils in their school, the group celebrated those making a positive difference while developing their own confidence, communication and teamwork skills. 

Discover Push and Pull’s inspiring KEY+ Challenge journey as they turned setbacks into success. Through three stages of teamwork, creativity and problem-solving, the group explored the link between nature and mental health before creating a wellbeing walking booklet designed to support others in their community. Along the way, they built confidence, developed resilience and discovered what they could achieve when they worked together.

Follow the journey of Bright Lights, a group of young people who took part in KEY+ Transitions. Through planning and leading their own trip to the Metrocentre, they developed confidence, independence, communication and problem-solving skills while creating lasting memories together. 

For Charlie, Ellie and Poppy, journalism started as an after-school club but quickly became something much more. Through The Key to Find Your Spark, the group had the opportunity to explore their passion, develop new skills and discover where their interest in media could take them in the future. Read about their journey to MediaCity and how this project has helped them recognise potential future career paths.