The Four G’s (Gorgeous, Glittery, Giggly, Goblin’s) are a group made up of 4 members and through their KEY+ Stage 1 project, they set out to create something that reflected who they are: energetic, active and always up for a challenge.
For their project, the group planned a day out at the Metrocentre, combining activity, teamwork and a bit of fun. Their plan included a trip to Activate, followed by lunch and an escape room challenge in the Green Mall.
Amelie explained how the idea came together: “Because we’re sporty we wanted to do something very active, so we decided Activate first, and then we had some leftover money after lunch, and we decided an escape room because it was in the Metrocentre in the Green Mall.”
Their project reflected something the group already had in common: a love of sport and staying active. During the interview, each member spoke about and shared the sports they enjoy:
Their shared interests meant that choosing a project idea came quite naturally: “It wasn’t hard because we all had the same idea.”
But while the idea came easily, the real work started when they began planning it. The group spent time during lunchtimes researching activities, checking prices and working on their presentation. The planning process also helped them to get to know each other better: “I think we got to know each other more and improved our communication skills.”
The group said spending so much time together helped strengthen their friendships because they already spent a lot of time with each other, but this gave them a new way to connect and work as a team.
Like many other KEY+ groups, budgeting proved to be one of the biggest challenges. At first, their plan came out over budget, which meant they had to rethink some of their spending as Amelie said that the skill she developed the most was problem solving: “because at first our budget was a bit over so we had to work really hard to try and get it down and make it so we could actually go.”
“Just the same because obviously the budget was over and we had to cut down the food but then we still wanted to keep the activities the same” agreed Faye.
Researching prices was another new skill for the group: “Researching, like websites and making my way through because I didn’t really know what to do before it” said Poppy. And Annabelle agreed, “because you have to go on websites and look at the prices and make sure you have enough to do it before you start planning everything.”
Sometimes that research even had to continue outside school as Amelie shared: “I was quite proud that everything went well. At one point we thought we were finished and then we tried to look at the prices, but the food hadn’t got any prices for McDonald’s, there was no prices anywhere. We had to do it at home and check on Deliveroo and things, so we had to work at home and at school at some points.”
Despite the challenges, the group managed their budget incredibly carefully and their project was a success. Poppy shared: “I think we used the money really well because there was 54p or something that we didn’t use.”
Another big moment came when they presented their project to the Key Panel. For some members of the group, speaking in front of people they didn’t know felt daunting at first. Amelie said: “Everyone was really scared on the first go but then we all spoke quite well, and it seemed quite good… I think communication was really good.”
And by the time they stood up to present, the group realised they were more capable than they thought: “it’s hard to do public speaking but then when we were up there, it was easier than we thought.”
The group also shared that they have now gained confidence in talking to new people: “I used to be really nervous to talk to people that I didn’t know but I’m not that nervous anymore” said Faye.
Looking back, the group feel proud of everything they achieved: “I think it’s just a really good opportunity and I’m happy that we got chosen because obviously not everyone in the school has been chosen” said Amelie.
Poppy agreed: “It’s not really something that you get asked every day.”
For other young people thinking about taking on the KEY+ Challenge, their advice was simple: “Just go for it and you won’t regret it.”
For The Four G’s, KEY+ has already been about more than just planning a trip. It helped them build confidence, strengthen friendships and discover what they can achieve when they work together.
*Image Credit: Metrocentre
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