KEY+ Updates

Looking to make a difference in your community? Our new Guide to Social Action is packed with practical tips, inspiring case studies, social action ideas and planning tools to help young people turn their ideas into meaningful action and create positive change.

The Key is introducing the Skills Builder Universal Framework to strengthen how we support young people to recognise, develop and communicate their essential skills through KEY+. Find out why we’re making the change, how young people and partners have helped shape our approach, and what the new framework means for the future of KEY+.

We are looking for a passionate new Trustee to join our Board of Trustees and help shape the future of youth-led opportunities across the North East. If you care about empowering young people, building confidence and removing barriers to opportunity, this voluntary role offers a meaningful way to make a lasting impact.

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. 

Meet Rose, one of The Key's dedicated Volunteer Panel Members, and discover what inspires her to support young people across the North East. In this Volunteer Spotlight, Rose shares her volunteering journey, her favourite memories from panel, and why she believes giving young people the opportunity to lead their own ideas is so important. Read on to learn more about the impact of volunteering with The Key and how our Volunteer Panel Members help young people grow in confidence and bring their ideas to life.

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.

We’re excited to share this blog from Emily, who joined The Key for a week of work experience and explored the world of marketing, creativity and youth work. During her week, Emily developed new Canva and design skills, created a Social Action resource for young people and gained an insight into how creative ideas are turned into meaningful projects. She also shares how the experience helped her build confidence, develop new skills and discover a potential future interest in marketing.