A SCOTTISH schoolgirl has beaten 70,000 other entrants to win a highly coveted national competition for designing a solar-powered blanket to help the homeless.
Rebecca Young, an S2 pupil at Kelvinside Academy in Glasgow, created her design as part of the UK Primary Engineer competition where she took the top prize of the MacRobert Commendation Medal, which is awarded by a public vote.
The 12-year-old's creation, which is a heated blanket integrated into a backpack and powered by solar panels, was inspired by her seeing people sleeping rough on the streets of Glasgow.
Young was challenged to create something to address any social issue, and she felt that combating homelessness was something she could try and help with as she “always felt bad” seeing how cold people sleeping on the streets were.
“To think something I’ve designed could one day help somebody on the streets is amazing,” she said.
“Unfortunately, you see so many people sleeping rough on the streets of Glasgow, and I always felt bad seeing how cold they were. It was obvious to me that this could help.
“It felt amazing to see my drawing turn into something real. I never thought that could happen. Homelessness is a big problem that needs fixing, and if you see a homeless person, help in any way you can.”
Young researched existing products, such as sleeping bags and backpacks, to help brainstorm ideas for her design.
Her efforts earned her the top spot in both the Scottish and UK-wide rounds of the competition with the engineering firm Thales choosing to develop a prototype based on Young’s design.
The first version of the prototype was brought to Kelvinside Academy’s Innovation School where Young was able to see and hold her design for the first time.
During the competition, Young’s designs were showcased at events at the University of Strathclyde and the University of Glasgow.
Young’s parents and younger sister, who attended the showcase events, said they were “immensely proud” of her achievements.
Leigh Goldie, Rebecca’s teacher and design coach at Kelvinside Academy’s Innovation School, praised her achievement.
She said: “Rebecca’s success feels incredible. It’s so unusual to see this level of awareness and creativity at such a young age, and to apply that to a real-world issue is truly special.
“Rebecca’s story shows how creativity and compassion can lead to meaningful innovation, even at this stage of life. If she decides to pursue STEM further, who knows how far she could go?
“At Kelvinside Academy, we are committed to inspiring young minds through our Innovation School, empowering students like Rebecca to use their creativity to make an impact in the world. Rebecca’s work highlights how young people can contribute to addressing societal challenges through innovation, inspiring others to consider how they too can make a difference.”
Thales engineers hope the prototype will be developed further and potentially patented for production.
Colin Scouller, head of Engineering Early Careers at Thales UK, added: “Thales in the UK is proud to be national sponsors of Primary Engineer. Their mission to get more young people involved in STEM and inspire the next generation of engineers is something we truly value.
“We’re looking forward to continuing our partnership with Primary Engineer as it continues to grow.”
