For a group of year 7 students known as McDonaldsLovers_6767, their KEY+ project began with a simple but meaningful idea: helping younger children discover a love of reading.

The group had already been taking part in a reading fluency programme designed to build their own reading skills and confidence. Through this experience, they began thinking about how they could support younger children too. Together, they decided to visit Toner Avenue Primary School to read aloud with KS1 pupils and create positive experiences around books and storytelling.

Watch this short video about their project!

But the group wanted to take their project even further. They decided that they wanted every child they worked with to receive a book of their own to keep – something many of them recognised not every young person has access to. The group said: “We gave books to children in case they didn’t have any books at home and they can’t afford it, or if they haven’t read a book before they can start and get to enjoy reading.”

After successfully pitching their idea to panel, the group used their £250 funding to carefully choose books for the children, visiting Waterstones to find stories they thought the pupils would enjoy. For many of the young people involved, it was an experience in itself, with some visiting a book shop for the very first time.

As they explored the shop together, the young people thought carefully about what the children might enjoy reading, making sure there was a range of stories and books that different children could connect with.

But the project wasn’t without its challenges. Choosing books as a team proved harder than expected, especially when everyone had ideas they wanted including. The group said “it took us about 10 minutes because we got too many books, we only needed 30 books and we got like 40 so we had to take 10 out and then people started putting more books on!”

To solve the problem, the group worked together and found a fair compromise: “There’s six of us so we decided to pick a couple of books each and then split the rest on the shelves.”

Alongside selecting the books, the young people gift wrapped them to make the experience feel even more special for the children receiving them. The project became more than just books – it was about creating positive memories, building confidence, and helping younger children feel excited about reading.

Through the process, the group developed a range of important skills. They reflected that they improved their “communication. We had to communicate to say what books we’d like” and “confidence through reading in front of people.” They also highlighted the importance of teamwork.

And as the project progressed, the young people became increasingly proud of what they had achieved together. One member reflected that they were most proud of “teamwork” and another said “I like reading now.”

For the group, some of the best memories came from the shared experiences along the way. They spoke excitedly about going to Waterstones to pick the books and reading to the children.

Through KEY+, the McDonaldsLovers_6767 were able to take ownership of an idea that mattered to them, turning it into a project that created meaningful experiences both for themselves and for younger children in their community.

By choosing, planning and delivering the project themselves, the group built confidence, strengthened teamwork and discovered that even small acts can help create positive change and inspire others.