Skip Navigation and go straight to the main content or use use accesskey "s"

Press Releases

Engineering Inspirations

A YORKSHIRE AIR MUSEUM PRESS RELEASE

(Elvington, York, YO41 4AU)
2010-06-28

To: News Editors
From: Ian Richardson, Communications Manager
Contact: 01904 608718 Mob: 07740 992 832
Subject: Student to Receive Special Award at ‘Inspirations’ Education Challenge and Showcase.

Inspirations’, the major education challenge and showcase event annually organised jointly by NYBEP (North Yorkshire Business & Education Partnership) and the Yorkshire Air Museum, has inspired the talent of young people from across the region for the past decade. It was formerly known as Engineering Inspirations, but the new name reflects the move towards encouraging more Science and Design based projects to be entered, in addition to the core Engineering and Technology base. The event is held here at the Yorkshire Air Museum, under the shadow of the magnificent Halifax bomber, an awe inspiring setting.

Since 2005, one pupil in particular has stood out due to her enthusiasm and consistency in entering excellent projects, with three of these becoming winners in their category. However, she has never quite made the elusive prize of becoming the Overall Winner, and receiving the Sir George Cayley Cup, the coveted award that takes its inspiration from Yorkshire’s pioneering father of the science of aeronautics and inventor of the aeroplane.

Her name is Amber Thiara and she is a student at Bradford Girls’ Grammar School. This year, the Inspirations Steering Group has decided to present Amber with an ‘Inspirations Special Award’, in recognition of her dedication and enthusiasm. This award is kindly sponsored by Coca Cola Enterprises Ltd, Wakefield, who are keen supporters of the event, amongst a number of other local and regional organisations.

Although she has entered Inspirations every year since 2005, some of Amber’s achievements are: 2005 Engineering Inspirations Key Stage 3 Control System Challenge – Dalek project; 2008 Engineering Inspirations Key Stage 4 Resistant Materials Challenge – Easy Shopping Trolley. These two projects were winners in the Young Engineers for Britain contest, the Dalek for Best Use of Materials and the Easy Shopping Trolley for Product Design and Marketability. In 2009, Amber’s ‘Ear Quartet’ Sculpture captured the Out of School Activity prize and went on to win the Bradford Royal Infirmary sculpture design competition for the Cochlear Ear Implant Centre.

“Amber has always enjoyed Inspirations and seeing what other people have achieved has challenged her to keep entering, and she has done very well. She is a focused go-getter and we are delighted that she has now received a conditional offer to read Engineering at St. Catherine’s College, Cambridge, with offers also for Imperial College London and Loughborough University.”

Amber has entered her ‘Angel of the North’ Sculpture for Inspirations this year. This precise, 1:12th scale, glass fibre model of this iconic sculpture was carried by a parent of a fellow pupil of Bradford Grammar School in the London Marathon, creating an unusual spectacle!

Ian Reed, Museum Director, comments:

“We are delighted that ‘Inspirations’ has provided a valuable platform to present the talents of people like Amber to a wider audience, with the recognition spurring her and others on to even greater things. There is no doubt that we will see a household product eventually emerge from a project entered into Inspirations. Amber Thiara is an exemplary role model for others to follow and we are delighted to be presenting her with this Special Award at Inspirations 2010.”

Inspirations 2010 takes place at the Yorkshire Air Museum on Wednesday 7thJuly, from 10am and this year, reflecting the addition of the National Diploma to the curriculum, the event will be amongst the very first education events to feature National Diploma projects. Therefore, we are delighted that the Keynote Speaker is Mr John Wood, of the south Tyneside Manufacturing Forum. Amongst other roles, John is Chair of the Tyneside Manufacturing and Product Design Diploma and actually sat on the advisory panel for the development of this qualification, so his experience in this area is very welcome.

The Royal Air Force are supporting the event with the allocation of a flypast by a Hawker Hurricane from the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, adding to the spectacle of the occasion.

Notes to Editors:

All media will be welcome to attend Inspirations on Wednesday 7th July. The event commences at 10am, with the Opening and Keynote Speech. Students will be with their projects as judging commences, until the lunch break at 12 noon. The Awards Ceremony will take place from 2pm, with the event closing at 3pm.

Attached image shows Amber Thiara receiving her 2009 project winners award from former Overall Winner, Emily Cummins, who has herself gone on to win a number of other prestigious national awards.

Amber Thiara receiving her 2009 project winners award from former Overall Winner, Emily Cummins