Youth-led experiences that empower young people to explore what matters to them, come up with ideas and make them happen.
What we do
We create youth-led experiences that give young people the chance to take ownership of their ideas, explore what matters to them and discover what they’re capable of.
Through a wide range of partnerships, we work with young people who need opportunities the most - helping them build confidence, skills, and belief in themselves.
Our work is shaped by more than 30 years of experience and a proven approach that puts autonomy, responsibility and youth voice at the centre.
How we do it
At The Key, young people are trusted to lead. They are given the space to make decisions, work together with peers and step outside their comfort zones in a supportive environment.
Across all our programmes, young people are supported by peers and trusted adults who encourage, challenge and believe in their potential. This blend of trust, responsibility and support creates the conditions for young people to thrive.
As a result, young people gain the confidence to try new things, the resilience to overcome challenges and the pride that comes from seeing their ideas come to life.
Our approach:
Our work is built around hands on, practical experiences that help young people harness their agency, grow skills and build belief in themselves. We focus on creating:
Opportunities to try new things
Opportunities to try new things, take risks and step out of their comfort zones in a supportive environment.
Trusted adults who believe in young people’s potential and guide without taking over.
Financial resources that enable young people to bring their ideas to life, overcome barriers, and develop money management skills.
Deliberate group work that builds trust, shared responsibility and peer encouragement.
Youth-led personal development
Personal development led by young people, reflecting on progress and achievements, recognising growth, and celebrating their efforts.
Our Five Step KEY+ Model
All our programmes are underpinned by a simple but powerful structure that supports young people to turn ideas into action:
- Think of a project or activity - explore interests, issues and motivations
- Plan what is needed to make their project idea happen - including a budget
- Pitch their project to a panel of supportive volunteers
- Do their project if given the go ahead by the panel
- Review - reflect on growth, learning and achievements
Grounded in Self Determination Theory, the KEY+ model strengthens autonomy, competence and connection – helping young people young people enhance their well-being, develop growth mindsets and gain the confidence to pursue future opportunities.
What Young People Gain
Across our programmes, young people tell us they:
- Feel more able to shape their world
- Build confidence and resilience
- Believe they can succeed, even when things feel hard
- Develop meaningful friendships and supportive networks
- Experience pride in their ideas and achievements
Our programmes
Our approach comes to life through a family of programmes designed for different settings and needs, explore each programme below to find out how they work: