KEY+ Stories

When a group of Year 11 students came together for their KEY+ Stage 1 project, they had one clear goal – to honour their friend Kye, who tragically passed away from leukaemia.

They decided to do something powerful in his memory: a charity football match that would raise money, bring people together, and celebrate Kye’s life in the best way they knew how.

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.

When Erin first took on the KEY+ Challenge, supported by NE Youth, she had no idea how much it would shape her confidence, leadership skills, and future plans. What started as a way to try new things with friends soon turned into a journey of personal growth, community impact, and new opportunities. Read more about her journey here.

‘BTEC Esports Group B’ is a group of Esports students who wanted to raise awareness about online security for elderly participants who visit NUCASTLE every week. With technology evolving rapidly, they wanted to ensure that older generations felt confident and safe while navigating the digital world.

This KEY+ group got stuck in, painting the shed, revamping the garden, and fixing up the benches to make the space more inviting for everyone. Some of them had never worked on an allotment before or had this much creative freedom in a community space – so they had to step up their game!

‘Care and Cup’s Society’ is a group of six young people who hosted a pop-up café at a residential home called ‘Little Sisters of the Poor.’ Their goal? To bridge the gap between generations, share stories, and bring some warmth to the residents’ day with good company and great conversation.

The Funky Flamingo's planned a group trip to an escape room alongside other volunteers from The Box. Not only was this a great opportunity to build problem-solving, communication, and time management skills, but it also served as a well-deserved reward for the hard work that the volunteers put in.

The Cream Egg Key Voices is a group of young people who hosted an "environmentally inspired event for the community, to spread the word of recycling and caring for nature." The project taught people about green days and the group received kind donations from the community.

KEY+ Group, ABC Team, raised money for a local animal charity through a farmers' market and fundraising activities. They raised a whopping £145 for the PDSA (People's Dispensary for Sick Animals).

KEY+ Group, Roots, raised money for men's mental health through a charity football match. Overall, they managed to build and develop their skills and raise £300! MIND also told the group that they would match this amount, meaning they actually made £600.

KEY+ Group, 'You Can't 6 With Us', hosted a roller disco to celebrate the end of term and bring the school community back together following RAAC. 

Team 29 decided to have an afternoon in a care home. They dressed up and played games with the older people and then presented them with personal Christmas cards and gifts.