This KEY+ group didn’t just create a project – they built purpose, skills and self-confidence too. With a KEY+ name as bold as their vision, We Can Better Than a Can Canner Can Can a Can, set out to raise awareness around body confidence and promote self-love through fashion.
Their Stage 3 idea? A youth-led clothing brand, selling custom-designed t-shirts, sweatshirts, tote bags and mugs at their school’s summer fair, with all profits going to charity.
But this journey of growth and empowerment started long before the designs were printed…
Stage 1: Facing Fears, Building Trust
The journey began with outdoor adventures in Sunderland where they took part in climbing and paddleboarding challenges. It wasn’t easy – three group members were afraid of jumping into the water. But with the encouragement from their peers, they faced their fears and jumped in.
This first stage helped them build trust, resilience, and communication skills. It pushed them outside their comfort zones, showing them that they were stronger and braver than they thought.
Stage 2: Strengthening Bonds in York
Next came an overnight trip to York, where the group took part in a ghost walk, an escape room, and a bit of shopping. It was a fun and memorable time that allowed them to strengthen their friendship as a team.
Experiences like these helped the group become more open, confident and collaborative – skills that would prove vital when it came to launching their business.
Stage 3: From Ideas to Enterprise
For their Stage 3 project, the group decided to address body confidence – a personal and powerful issue that had affected some members of the team: “I wasn’t confident enough because we wanted to do a fashion show, and I spoke up, I didn’t want to do the fashion show. So, we came up with the idea to raise awareness [of self-love].”
Originally considering a fashion show, they changed course to focus on a clothing brand that could raise awareness and inspire others while also supporting each other’s confidence.
The group learned how to use inks and hot presses to bring their unique designs to life. They carefully planned production, budgeted costs, and thought deeply about what their target audience would want to buy. They created a dedicated workspace in school, set up shift rotas, and clearly defined roles based on each member’s strengths whether in design, logistics, production, or finance. They even adapted their strategy based on what was selling well – just like a real business would.
“It was really tough trying to figure out what we would be doing. So, in the future you have a better understanding of how hard it can be in some jobs.”
“There’s also like the target market, who would want to buy this? What sizes to get? How to sell it to people? Things like that to try and know what people would want and how to get that to make it work.”
The young people have now improved their relationship with money and how to manage what they’re spending. They’ve “got a better understanding of how to manage what to buy. And just having the independence to make your own business, to do something that is just a big responsibility, and to help manage that and improve that.”
But, their entrepreneurial spirit didn’t stop at the summer fair, the group contacted the Newcastle Falcons and successfully partnered with them to organise a girls’ rugby tournament where the women’s team agreed to wear the t-shirts during the warmup. They also sold products in school and are currently in discussions with Newcastle Eagles Women’s Team to have their clothing worn on court before a game.
The group is now in a strong position. They’ve made £250 in profit, with additional stock still available and no outstanding debts – meaning all future sales will go directly to support their cause.
Their facilitator Helen was incredibly proud: “The group have really grown in confidence and are massively independent. They know what is involved in running a business and have worked on pricing strategy. They know how to market their product well.”
On Reflection
Looking back, the transformation has been huge, Richard said: “There was a lot of sheep mentality. They would just follow what other girls do, and they wouldn’t speak up or anything like that. Now we’ve got strong independent women who know what they want to do, and they will just do it. It’s fantastic.”
One of the young people also said that their confidence has massively improved: “The group made lots of decisions that had to be spoken about, and we all got a say in it. So, at the start, I wasn’t very confident, and I would have just gotten on with it, even if I didn’t like it. But I spoke up and I said, I like this, or can we change this?”
Their Advice? Just Go For It: “Just be confident in yourself, basically, there’s no wrong answer to this […] you always just have to be confident in yourself, never doubt what you’re going to do and always put yourself out there.”
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