KEY+ Group: The Wizards
The Wizards, a Stage 1 KEY+ group made up of eight sixth form students, set out on a mission to tackle food poverty in their local community. With big hearts and even bigger ideas, this inspiring group wanted to improve nutrition for those accessing foodbanks. Their plan? To create a budget-friendly recipe book packed with easy, tasty meal ideas.
All members of the group have SEND, and for some, including one member who is selective mute, this was a brand new and brave experience. But throughout their journey, they showed resilience, confidence, creativity and teamwork every step of the way.
The young people followed the five steps for the KEY+ challenge to:
1. THINK – Spotting the Problem:
In the Think stage, The Wizards identified food poverty and poor nutrition as key issues affecting families in their community. They decided they wanted to do something practical and helpful, so they came up with the idea of a recipe book for foodbanks.
They used key decision-making skills to work together and choose what kind of recipes to include, how many pages to create, and how to make the book feel both fun and useful.
2. PLAN – Bringing the Idea to Life:
Once the idea was clear, it was time to figure out the details. The Wizards had never done anything like this before. From planning a recipe book to shopping on a budget and even communicating with local foodbanks, every step was a learning curve.
They planned their time and energy by delegating roles and responsibilities, sorting their timelines and researching recipes and community needs. They then reached out to staff and support workers and learned how foodbanks operate.
3. PITCH - Sharing Their Vision:
The group pulled together to present their project to panel which is a huge achievement!
Despite nerves, they stood up and proudly explained their idea, sharing who the book would help and how they’d make it happen. Liv had an incredible journey too – after starting out feeling unsure and quiet, she got stuck into the project, shared her thoughts and ideas with the group, helped create the artwork, and even came along to the pitch to get involved!
4. DO – Making it Happen:
With funding secured, The Wizards got to work! They decided the book, selected recipes, and went out shopping for ingredients and toiletries to donate directly to local foodbanks.
Each person took on a different responsibility, whether it was shopping, designing the book, or coordinating delivering, playing to their strengths and helping each other through challenges, discovering what they were good at and not so good at.
Negotiation was also involved as they had to decide which shops to buy from, what to include, and how to stretch their budget while still making an impact.
5. REVIEW – Reflecting on Growth:
After completing the project, the group reflected on everything they’d learned. They admitted that things like finding foodbanks, creating recipes, and putting the book together had been hard work, but they felt proud of what they achieved.
Across the board, the group agreed that they had gained confidence, stronger social skills, and a better sense of teamwork. They spoke to each other more, supported one another, and grew as individuals.
The Wizards didn’t just create a recipe book – they created change, in their community and within themselves. Through confidence and resilience they proved that young people with passion can cook up something truly magical.
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The Key