At The Key, young voices are at the heart of everything we do – and our Youth Advisory Board (YAB) plays a crucial role in shaping the direction of our work.
They bring their experiences, ideas and voices to the table to ensure the charity stays youth-led, inclusive and relevant. From advising on new projects to championing youth voice across the organisation, the board plays a vital role in helping The Key empower more young people to unlock their potential.
Today, we’re shining a spotlight on our three newest members: Oliver, Tasmia and Isaac. These young people bring their unique perspectives, experiences, and energy to the board, and we’re excited to share a bit about what motivates them.
Meet Tasmia
What inspired you to join The Key’s Youth Advisory Board?
“I joined The Key’s Youth Advisory Board because I wanted to help make sure that young people’s voices are heard and so I can give feedback on ideas that affect us.”
What change do you hope to help create?
“I hope to create opportunities that young people enjoy, benefit and feel heard through.”
What’s a fun or surprising skill you will bring to the team?
“I can be creative with problem-solving.”
Meet Isaac
What inspired you to join The Key’s Youth Advisory Board?
“I was inspired to join the Youth Advisory Board as I am always looking for ways to give back to the community around me and the great work that The Key does would help me do that.”
What change do you hope to help create?
“I hope I can impact young people’s lives and help The Key understand and reach more people.”
What’s a fun or surprising skill you will bring to the team?
“I bring to the team my insight doing many activities and even being a football referee where I get to understand hundreds of young people.”
Meet Oliver
What inspired you to join The Key’s Youth Advisory Board?
“Having seen first-hand how difficult it is for young people to find and secure skills development opportunities; I’ve experienced how this can limit both confidence and progression into the professional world. I wanted to join the Youth Advisory Board to contribute to The Key’s programmes, which are incredibly impactful and responsive to the needs of young people in building their skills and giving them the right opportunity to fully demonstrate their abilities.”
What change do you hope to help create?
“I want to ensure that the fantastic opportunities available through the KEY+ Challenge are as visible as possible, so that more young people in the region feel confident taking part and can fully benefit from the skills and experiences it offers. Through my role on the YAB, I hope to find out what is currently done to promote the KEY+ Challenge and contribute to strengthening how it is communicated so that it has the widest possible impact.”
What’s a fun or surprising skill you will bring to the team?
“Having recently been taken on as a young trustee at the Northumberland Wildlife Trust and having worked in roles delivering presentations and running workshops for two different charities (Daisy Chain and Newcastle University Students’ Union), I’ve developed a solid understanding of how different charities function at very different levels and have a good eye for understanding where things are working and where they aren’t.”
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The Key