Students from 4 schools in the East and West Midlands have impressed MPs and Peers this week after being invited to showcase their innovative Big Bang Competition projects at Westminster.
Local students made up over half of the 20 students from schools across the country who were invited to Westminster. The prestigious event, run by EngineeringUK, celebrates young people's creativity and innovation in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM). The students were joined by parliamentarians, guests from the engineering and technology community and Siemens, who support the event and the technology strand of The Big Bang Competition.
Grace Palmer, a T Level student from WMG Academy of Engineering in Solihull was the senior engineering winner in The Big Bang Competition 2025 for her project ‘Thrive Transfer Aid'. As well as showcasing her project that was inspired by the challenges faced by her young cousin and other disabled children, Grace gave an inspiring speech at the event. Grace said “Entering The Big Bang Competition pushed me to step outside my comfort zone and develop both soft and hard skills that I know will support me in the future…
“But the most important lesson I learned was about engineering itself: it often begins with empathy. When we understand the challenges faced by others, we can create products that truly change lives.” She spoke alongside Toby Perkins MP, Chair of the Environmental Audit Select Committee (and event sponsor), and Dame Chi Onwurah MP, Chair of the Science, Innovation and Technology Select Committee.
Lucy Dunn, Amira Bilali and Isabelle Izah from Northampton School for Girls showcased their project ‘SereniWrap: Medical baby blanket’. Inspired by newborns who are unable to have skin-to-skin contact with their mothers’ post-birth, the team aimed to simulate the contact to comfort babies.
Lucy commented, “We were really overwhelmed when we first got invited. It’s been such a good day.
“Talking to people who are related to your field is an experience that you don’t really get anywhere else. It’s so inspiring.” Students from Derby Moor Spencer Academy, including Harleen Sandhu and Elsa Ogbebor, showed off their project ‘Emot’.
Keen to support emotional wellbeing, their project includes a personalised chat doll that acts as an emotionally intelligent friend. Harleen comments: “This has been a really valuable experience and the best thing to put on your CV!” Student Jemimah Greer, also from the academy, took their project ‘Adapta Cane’ to Parliament.
The project aims to help people with visual impairments live more independently and put inclusivity, durability and individuality at the heart of their cane design. Students from Bishop Vesey’s Grammar School, Sutton Coldfield showcased 2 projects at the event. Tom Scrivens and Shewan Rathnapala showcased their project ‘Insight’, a visor that aids firefighters in search and research in built up areas.
Haris Afzal and Matthew Healy’s project ‘Bedmill’ is a treadmill design that uses science, technology, engineering and maths to transform sport.Toby Perkins, Labour MP for Chesterfield, said “Huge congratulations to all The Big Bang Competition entrants that are here today.
“I hope that passion for STEM that has been unleashed through this project will stay with you going forwards in your careers. We’ve got a really amazing array of different ideas on display – they cover such a range which demonstrate the breath of directions in which STEM careers can now take you.” Also delivering a speech, EngineeringUK Chief Executive, Dr Hilary Leevers thanked the students for attending and encouraged them to “keep doing what you are doing - which includes your fantastic STEM work, but also your commitment to sharing your stories and enthusiasm with others, especially your fellow students.”
Dr Leevers also commented: “I would like to draw everyone’s attention to the nature of the projects that are here.
“You’ll see how incredibly purposeful and caring they all are - targeted at improving physical and mental health, environmental sustainability, and safety and accessibility. The fact that the students made these choices makes me feel so optimistic for the future, as much as the actual skills that we are seeing.” Referencing the ongoing skills shortage and the need to bring more young talent into the engineering and technology sector, she urged industry to “continue to give young people opportunity to understand what careers are out there and provide older students with work experience and industrial placements.”
She also urged parliamentarians to “ensure that working with younger students is a key part of skills strategies”. Other prominent attendees included Rt Hon Emma Reynolds MP (Environment Secretary), Lucy Rigby MP (Economic Secretary to the Treasury), and Saqib Bhatti (Shadow Education Minister). In total there were 17 parliamentarians in attendance, with 6 of those having project teams from their constituencies.
Entries to The Big Bang UK Young Scientists & Engineers Competition 2026 are now open.
