The Key - Inspiring Belief in Young People

A group of teens from South Tyneside brought memories of old back to local care home residents with a heritage themed post-war 1950s party. 💗 Taking part in an NCS funded local community experience with The Key - Inspiring Belief in Young People, the team, calling themselves ‘Criminal Minds’ thanks to a shared passion for criminology, set out to tackle the intergenerational divide with their social action project. Funding from NCS allowed The Key to put the 16 and 17 year olds through their KEY+ Challenge, which encourages young people to plan, pitch and then deliver an innovative project that they care about. Deciding upon doing something caring for elderly neighbours, the team first had to pitch their 1950s party idea to a panel. Nervous about public speaking and pushing themselves into unknown territory, they were initially apprehensive about how the panellists would respond. It was a resounding YES, thanks to the detailed planning and their creative and caring idea. They then got to work booking their venue, securing a local chef to cater the event and even scoured the internet for 1950s themed decorations. 🎉 Inviting a local care home to join them in the celebrations, the event was a roaring success. The teens organised live entertainment and even hosted a game of bingo, much to the delight of their attendees. Team members Aidan, Chloe, Denver, Neive and Shannon all agreed that the experience had introduced them to volunteering, gave an insight and access into other members of their community, as well as enabling them to hone their skills on the project. Shannon told us: “This has helped me get into volunteering and gave me some things to think about, like what I would like to do in the future.” 🤝 The Key - Inspiring Belief in Young People are a North East based charity committed to inspiring young people to believe in themselves. The KEY+ Challenge empowers young people to design and lead their own projects. The project was funded by NCS as part of our targeted local community experiences. Grants have enabled organisations like The Key to scale up their existing intervention, trial new innovations, and/or work with targeted groups of young people. #NCSmemories

As we wrap up 2024 and step into the festive season, we want to take a moment to reflect on what an incredible year it’s been. This year, we’ve reached new heights with KEY+, supporting more young people and witnessing their creativity, ambition, and resilience when given the right platform and support. ✨   ✨ Take a moment to look back at our amazing KEY+ UNPACKED highlighting stats, KEY+ quirks and young people’s quotes.   Our work wouldn’t be possible without the dedication and generosity of our community so thank you for being here. Of course there's many ways you can get involved with The Key in 2025 so be sure to click the link in the comments below and be part of our impact in the new year.   #NECharity #Charity #Youth #GoodCauses #CSR #Volunteering

✨ It’s the festive season, and we’re thrilled to see so many young people using KEY+ to turn their dreams of supporting the community into real acts of kindness!    Recently, we empowered an inspiring group of young people in Ferryhill to deliver a KEY+ social action project aimed at strengthening intergenerational bonds. Together, they delivered hampers and created a welcoming space for vulnerable elderly residents, making the community feel more connected than ever.   Throughout their journey, these young changemakers gained invaluable skills, boosted their confidence, and left a lasting impact. 🌟   Swipe to hear their reflections and click on the comments for the full heart-warming story! 📖

We love logging on and seeing posts like this. Thanks Rose Stewart 🤩 We’re so grateful to have Rose’s continued support over the years. She’s been a valued volunteer panel member with The Key for many years and has seen first hand the amazing ideas and voices of young people through KEY+! Find out how you can inspire belief in young people with us too here: thekeyuk.org/support-us/

End of year team celebrations went off with a bang last Friday as we styled out our December wellbeing activity and made festive wreaths together. Teamwork, creativity, and holiday cheer! 🎄✨    A big thanks to Lucy from Blooming Brave Workshops for guiding us through the wreath-making workshop. We’ve got the holiday spirit and some gorgeous wreaths to prove it! 🎁    #TeamBonding #ChristmasCreativity #WreathMakingFun #HolidayVibes

🌟 Supporting Young People Through School Transitions 🌟 The move from primary to secondary school can be a challenging and daunting time for many young people. That's why we’ve recently partnered with @ChildrenNE to help make the transition smoother, with our KEY+ Transitions Programme. KEY+ Transitions brings together young people who are navigating this big change, providing them with the opportunity to form new friendships, build confidence, and develop valuable skills in a supportive environment. By working together in groups with others experiencing similar things, young people feel less isolated and more confident as they step into this exciting new chapter. 👉 Want to find out more about how we're helping young people unlock their potential during this critical transition? Visit our website in the comments below to learn more. The North East Combined Authority Children North East Andrew Garrad FRSA #SchoolSupport #UnlockPotential #YouthEmpowerment #TransitionSupport #KEY+ #YoungLeaders

🌍✨ Happy International Volunteers Day! ✨🌍   Today, we're celebrating the incredible volunteers who give their time, expertise, and energy to support young people doing KEY+. Our volunteers play a pivotal role in shaping the future of young people by sitting on panels to determine which projects get the go ahead.   Our micro volunteering opportunity empowers volunteers to see first-hand the amazing potential and ideas of young people as they ask questions that empower young people to step out of their comfort zone and grow.   The Key’s work wouldn’t be possible without volunteers and would like to say a massive thank you to each one of them for being part of our community. Meet one of our amazing volunteers, Abbie, who shares what it means to be part of The Key.   Are you passionate about inspiring belief in young people? Do you want to get involved? We'd love for you to join us! Find out how to become a volunteer and make a difference today at the link in the comments.

🔑 It’s #GivingTuesday – how are you giving this Tuesday?   We’ve got 3 ways you can inspire belief in young people who need it most by giving back to The Key this #GivingTuesday!   We’re a #NorthEast charity committed to empowering young people to build their self-belief, skills and resilience and with funding and support along the way we reach 1,000 young people each year.   So here's how you can join our mission and help:   1) Volunteer your expertise to guide the next generation of leaders. 2) Donate to help fund exciting youth-led projects. 3) Subscribe to our friends of The Key newsletter for updates and ways to collaborate.   Remember, your contribution can make a lasting change, and we’d love to connect for the better. Let's inspire belief in young people today.   #GivingTuesday #SocialImpact #NECharity #NorthEastCharity

🌟 This #GivingTuesday, you have the power to unlock young people’s futures with KEY+ 🌟 At The Key, we empower young people to build the confidence, skills, and self-belief through the KEY+ Challenge so they can lead connected and fulfilling lives in the future.   Each year we empower 1,000 young people to take on KEY+ but we don’t (and can't) do it alone! Did you know that a donation of just £50 can help one young person start their KEY+ journey, giving them the tools, support, and opportunities to grow and thrive? 💬 In this video, hear directly from the young people whose lives have been transformed by The Key. Every donation, big or small, makes a difference. Whether you're a supporter, a volunteer, or a partner, this #GivingTuesday is your chance to invest in the future. 💙 Donate at the link in the comments! #GivingTuesday #UnlockPotential #YouthEmpowerment #KEY+ #DonateForChange

🌍✨ Today we're shining a light on the incredible work of 'Confidence in Conversations', a group of young refugees who made a difference for others arriving in the UK. Drawing from their own experiences of learning English as an additional language, they took on the KEY+ Challenge and created a free 8-week tutoring programme for young people who were new to Newcastle.   Their sessions covered everything from navigating transport, understanding school and jobs, to decoding Geordie slang! 📚 Check out the comments for more information. NCS - National Citizen Service Trust   #YouthAction #SocialChange #RefugeeSupport #EAL #YoungLeaders #CommunityImpact