Faces of the festival – The softer side of engineering

 

How could you operate a wheelchair using only your chin? How can you press the pedals on a piano if you are paralysed below the waist? How can you climb into a car if you can’t bend your knees?

 These are just some of the problems that our engineers and volunteers get asked by the children and young people that we serve at MERU. We’re a charity that exists to improve life for children and young people with disabilities. We do this by designing and custom-making specialist equipment for use at home, at school or college, in hospital or at play. We are really keen to encourage young people to study engineering – and also to show that engineering isn’t just about nuts and bolts – but that it also has a softer, more human side.

We’re really looking forward to exhibiting some of the equipment that we design and manufacture for children with disabilities as well as telling you how you can get involved with our Design Club on Facebook. We hope that some of the schools will choose MERU as their charity to raise funds to help children and young people with disabilities. We’ll see you there!

Surrey schools and employers to showcase science and engineering projects

Redhill based CBSbutler, the specialist technical and engineering recruiter is getting involved in the local community to promote engineering, science, technology and maths as a career.  In conjunction with Surrey SATRO they are working to help promote and sponsor the Surrey SATRO Science & Engineering Festival on 24th June 2010 which will be held at The Brooklands Museum in Weybridge. 

Surrey SATRO has existed for more than 20 years as a charity which brings together educational establishments and business to provide a vital link by facilitating relationships through developing and running programmes within schools that enhance young people’s understanding of business, science and technology. The festival has been running for over ten years and offers teams from local schools the best possible opportunity to showcase high quality science and engineering projects devised and built during the current school year.   

As well as sponsoring two of the cash prize competitions on the day: ‘Best STEM teacher of the Year’ and ‘Best Year 9 project’, CBSbutler is sponsoring the ‘Working World’ marquee which showcases local STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) businesses and organisations.  These can range from Engineering and Biology Societies to multi-national companies and small charities.  Students will be able to interact with the exhibitors and ask real scientists and engineers questions about their companies, skills needed and personal experiences.

Commenting on CBSbutler’s involvement on the project, David Leyshon, Managing Director of CBSbutler said: According to a report by the Engineering and Technology board, the UK needs 60,000 engineers over the next seven years. Population changes mean that the number of school leavers will decline by 16% by 2019, leaving a reduced talent pool.  It is crucial therefore that more is done to encourage our young people into engineering and technical careers and that’s why we are very pleased to be involved in such a worthwhile project.”

Companies can exhibit free of charge at the marquee and full information can be gained by contacting swhite@cbsbutler.com. For more details visit http://www.cbsbutler.com/science-festival