Powering the Future challenge extended for three more years

The first complete run of our Powering the Future: South Tyneside and Beyond! challenge is soon to culminate in the winning ideas being brought to life.

Over the past two years, we have introduced children across year four and year five in South Tyneside to the possibilities within renewable energy and the wonders of invention.

They have risen to the challenge of inventing using wind and inventing to produce renewable energy from movement.

In addition to promoting STEM learning and inducing a creative spark in young people, we aimed to educate them about renewable energy's vital role in the fight against climate change.

We have been supported in delivering the challenge by our wonderful collaborators Dogger Bank Wind Farm and South Tyneside Council.

Dogger Bank is a project of colossal scope and importance. It is set to become the world’s largest offshore wind farm, located just off the North East Coast. It's capacity will be such that it will be capable of powering up to six million homes annually.

Dogger Bank Wind Farm

The challenge enabled participating children to enjoy creative workshops, library visits, epic sessions of drawing and prototyping and ultimately six children were picked as incredibly worthy winners.

Year one's cohort were an impressive bunch indeed, producing the inventions Auto Shivering Heating Device, The Turtle Motorway, The Litter Picker Boat, Sleep and H2O 2000, The Toilet Turbine, and Wind Mirrors.

A team of makers and creators, featuring the likes of Ryder Architecture, Chloe Rodham, and Ford Aerospace, all honed their individual talents and resources to bring to life the visions of the winning little inventors.

Classic makes from years gone by also featured at the exhibition

All six prototypes made their way to The Word in South Shields to comprise a months-long free exhibition. They were displayed alongside a range of classic Little Inventors made-real inventions.

Kicking off the exhibition with a much-anticipated opening night, we welcomed partner representatives, the winning little inventors and their respective makers, members of the Little Inventors team, and local culture fanatics to admire the ideas that sprang from the challenge and introduce them to Dogger Bank Wind Farm.

Alice's invention 'The Turtle Motorway'

Visitors over the following months were provided the opportunity to get inventing themselves, as the display of prototypes complimented the exhibition's interactive element.

We presented a challenge to the visiting public, to devise a creation of their own that generates renewable energy from movement.

Celebrated for their ingenious use of energy and their aesthetic brilliance, two winners, Health Angel of the North and Up! Up! Up!, took their place amongst the original brought to life ideas on show.

They were lovingly crafted by makers Dominic Wilcox (who just so happens to be the founder of Little Inventors!) and Honey Postle.

Florence's invention 'Up! Up! Up!'

Not only that, the collective project won the STEM Initiative award at The Engineer magazine's Collaborate to Innovate Awards. Winner Isaac's idea Wind Mirrors was also shortlisted in the Young Innovator category.

Following the success of the first iteration of the challenge, we have agreed with Dogger Bank Wind Farm and South Tyneside Council to extend it for a further three years.

This fantastic news will ensure that we can continue to bring creative learning to children across South Tyneside, inspiring in them a love for invention and making, as well as developing their knowledge of renewables and the opportunities they present.

John Scott, Head of Inclusive Growth at South Tyneside Council, said: “STEM is a crucial and growing part of the borough’s economy, and it’s vital that we are nurturing a well-qualified, adaptable workforce to unlock the full potential of exciting opportunities like Dogger Bank. This funding will allow us to continue our award-winning programmes to engage with our young people via schools to ensure they are equipped with the skills, knowledge and passion to build sustainable careers and support industry.

South Tyneside presents a fantastic opportunity to boost job creation and bolster UK energy security, being at the very heart of the automotive, advanced manufacturing and green economies, driving forward growth both in the region and nationally.”

Challenge representatives at the Collaborate to Innovate awards

Craig Bright, General Manager at Little Inventors, said: “We’re beyond thrilled that Dogger Bank and South Tyneside Council have trusted us to continue the work we started two years ago and provide even more opportunities for local students to use their creativity to potentially make the world a better place.”

We are so pleased that the challenge has been embraced and recognised for the value it provides to young people and we are incredibly thankful to our partners for their continued efforts in delivering the project with us.

In addition to the £1 million investment already undertaken during the construction phase of Dogger Bank Wind Farm, which has supported schools, university scholarships, and local community groups, Dogger Bank's desire to foster development and education in the North East has been extended further.

They have recently announced funding of £25 million to support coastal communities across the North and North East of England over the wind farm's planned thirty-five year operational lifespan.

This commitment includes funding bespoke projects that enhance STEM education to help young people gain the skills and knowledge required to fulfill their potential in a net zero world.

Mark Halliday, Dogger Bank Operations Director, said: “Through the operations community fund, we continue to aim to empower and uplift communities by investing in projects that make a lasting impact. We are particularly excited to support the levelling up agenda by working with schools in the North and North East of England, where I personally grew up, by providing opportunities for STEM education.

By fostering a passion for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, we hope to equip the next generation with the skills they need to be a part of a sustainable future.”

Funding from Dogger Bank will support learning in the North East

The new challenge will focus on oceans and the items and contraptions that could be invented to improve the health of our seas.

Being such a vast and crucial component of our planet, the theme will surely be the catalyst for an incredibly wide array of ideas and inspirational solutions.

For now, we eagerly await the unveiling of the brought to life inventions fresh from the minds of the winners of the challenge's second year.