This meant Hannah found herself doing things she had never done before – from writing professional emails and creating PowerPoint presentations to designing lesson plans and speaking with people in positions of authority: “That involved a lot of speaking to people in power and authority… writing emails and stuff I’d never really done before.”

One of the most rewarding parts of this process was learning how to take ideas the group already understood and communicate them in a way that younger students could engage with.

But starting the KEY+ Challenge wasn’t easy. Hannah described herself as someone who lacked confidence at the beginning, she didn’t know the other members of the group very well and working together felt challenging at first. Speaking to adults in senior roles was particularly daunting. She shared: “When I first started The Key I was not a confident person, like at all… I was nervous about having to talk to people who were in higher positions than me.”

As the group moved into their Stage 3 project, the scale and complexity of their work increased. The team designed and delivered an environmental competition across primary schools in Gateshead, encouraging positive environmental behaviours and adapting the project for different schools: “It was quite hard logistically to work out how we were going to get tree saplings and wildflowers to schools… we had to make sure our project was adaptable.”

KEY+ also changed how Hannah viewed impact. At first, she doubted whether smaller projects could really make a difference. But during their Stage 1 project – providing reusable water bottles to members of Gateshead Youth Council – her perspective shifted: “At first I was like it’s not going to do anything but actually we got 45-50 water bottles, and everyone uses them.”

“I think it’s definitely sort of made me feel like I can do something about a particular issue and it doesn’t actually have to be that big to make a difference.”

Over time Hannah noticed one change above all others, talking about her confidence again. She became far more comfortable speaking up, working with people she hadn’t met before, and sharing her ideas without fear of getting things wrong: “My confidence has definitely soared through the KEY+ Challenge… I was really shy.”

And for Hannah, the best part of the KEY+ Challenge has been both the relationships built within her group and seeing the real-world impact of their work: “Seeing the impact we’ve made and the sense of achievement when your projects worked… that’s just really cool.”

One of the moments she feels most proud of came during their Stage 2 project, which focused on increasing recycling in their secondary school. The success of the competition led to the school to invest in permanent recycling bins: “That was all us!”

KEY+ also helped Hannah feel more prepared for future opportunities. The pitching process built her confidence in responding to questions on the spot, while time management – something she previously struggled with – became a skill she actively developed.

When asked what she would say to someone thinking about getting involved in KEY+, Hannah said: “Definitely don’t be afraid to get involved… when you break it down into manageable steps… it does work.” She also shared: “It’s an amazing experience.”