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Rebecca Young’s design, one of 70,000 entered into a UK-wide competition, won her a medal.
A 12-year-old schoolgirl has designed a solar-powered blanket for the homeless, winning a prize in a UK engineering competition.
Rebecca Young, from Kelvinside Academy in Glasgow, said she thought of the invention after seeing people sleeping on the city streets.
Tasked with producing a design to address a social issue, she began researching sleeping bags and backpacks to see if there was a way to help protect those living rough from the cold.
She created a solar-powered blanket to help the homeless. The engineering firm Thales has now developed a prototype based on her plan for a heated blanket that is integrated into a backpack and powered by the sun. They are hoping the product will be further enhanced and patented for production. Young’s design was one of 70,000 entered into the Primary Engineer MacRobert Medal competition, supported by Thales. It won the Commendation Medal, which is chosen by public vote. She also won a silver medal in the main competition.
Rebecca, who is in her second year at Kelvinside Academy, said: “To think something I’ve designed could one day help somebody on the streets is amazing.
“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.”
Rebecca said that when she saw homeless people on the streets she “always felt bad seeing how cold they were”
Leigh Goldie, Young’s teacher and design coach at Kelvinside Academy’s Innovation School, 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?”
The Primary Engineer MacRobert Medal award is a collaboration between the MacRobert Trust charity and Primary Engineer, an organisation that encourages children to explore and develop their engineering skills.