The Imagineer Issue 8 Spring 2014

IMAGINEERING FLIES THE FLAG AT MAJOR INDUSTRIAL EXHIBITION

FORMER CLUB MEMBER DROPS IN ON THE STAND AT MACH!

Bringing the message to manufacturers at this prestigious exhibition at the NEC

The Imagineering team spent a hectic but highly successful five days at this major bi-annual machine tool exhibition, courtesy of the Manufacturing Technologies Association.

The Imagineering stand attracted a wide variety of visitors from manufac-turers and leading education centres in the UK and overseas. The team highlighted the benefits of supporting Imagineering and its Clubs and the need for manufacturing organisations to work directly with tomorrows’ engineers today and at a much younger age.

This was one of the most successful trade events for Imagineering and it generated around fifty useful contacts and enquiries. MACH itself had record visitors too.

Bob Shanks, Imagineering Chairman, seen above right with enthusiastic MACH visitors, said:

Amongst the many visitors to the Imagineering stand at MACH, including MDs, Sales Managers, engineers and college professors, was one particular VIP – a former member of an Imagineering Club in Coventry!

Georgia Hackett is now studying engineering at Henley College – proof that she was inspired as a youngster in her Club!

“This proved to be a valuable opportunity for us to engage directly with a wide variety of potential supporters and to highlight opportunities for them to benefit from supporting the Imagineering initiative, in the short and long term.”

ROTEC TO SUPPORT IMAGINEERING Paul Howard, Divisional Director of Rotec Engineering Ltd, in Evesham, (pictured on right) was just one of the visitors to the Imagineering stand at MACH to be impressed by the initiative.

Since the exhibition Paul has been working with Imagineering on plans for some of his young engineers, including Marcus Cooper (pictured here on the left) to run Imagineering Clubs in the Evesham area. He said: “Imagineering is delivering the essence of engineering in a practical way.” Paul is active in the region promoting engineering and skills development and, working with South Worcestershire College, he is creating the Rotec Engineering Academy to train young engineers of the future. Imagineering is looking forward to working with Rotec on other projects in the future.

In the Spotlight This issue sees the spotlight turned on the Imagineering Club at

St Richard’s C of E First School in Evesham, Worcestershire

This highly successful Club has been running for over decade and is headed by Bob Young and John Shepherd, both retired engineers, and supported by teacher, Anna

Harper.

A few years ago it received a visit from Peter Luff MP and helped to inspire the MP’s subsequent campaign to promote engineering in schools and beyond.

Head Teacher Elizabeth Spencer said: “We are proud to boast that Imagineering Club has been part of the curriculum enrichment programme at St Richard’s for more than a dec-ade. Robert and John are superb am-bassadors for engineering.

The pupils enthusiastically take part in the club and are always extremely proud to exhibit and talk about their engineering feats .All the tasks give them real reasons to apply and ex-tend their mathematical and scientific skills and knowledge.”

And why do the children like

Imagineering?

Tamzin: ‘You get to make stuff’.

Honey: ‘It’s fun and you definitely learn a lot.’

Kaicia: ‘You get to build things you’ve not done before and then get to test them.’

Caitlin: ‘We make stuff and it helps with our maths and literacy.’

James: ‘I like it when we get to build things and test them.’

Myles: ‘You get to make stuff and then you get to take it home.’

Jaden: ‘Cos it’s fun to build things and play with them and fun seeing what things can do.’

James: ‘I like to make harder things, I like the Challenge.’

Joel: ‘It’s interactive, especially electric buzzer, and I think it’s fun.’

Anna Harper, teacher: “They really enjoy it. The explanations are good , put things into context and relate them to real life.”

CLUBS MANAGER RECEIVES COMMUNITY AWARD

David Yates, Imagineering Clubs Manager, has received a special award from the Wychavon District Council. He has received the Diamond Jubilee Community Recognition Award to acknowledge his dedication and service to the local community. The Award has been issued in commemoration of the 60th Anniversary of the Accession of HM Queen Elizabeth II. David, who lives in Church Lench is involved with many activities in the community including running an Imagineer-ing Club at Church Lench First School, Worcestershire. He developed the Clubs concept over 15 years ago.

Above: David Yates, right, was presented with his Award by Chairman of the Wychavon District Council, Gerry O’Donnell, left.

COMING UP.. ‘YOUNG GUNS’ TO HELP IMAGINEERING

SHOTTERY ST ANDREW

CLUB RAISES CASH

FOR SCHOOL

Lead tutor Sarah Ray reports from her Imagineering Club at Shottery St Andrew’s Primary School, near Stratford-upon-Avon:

‘Our Club is so popular that over half the children are doing the Club for a second year. With this in mind, we are always looking for opportunities to extend the kits provided to us.

With the school Christmas Fayre looming, we had the idea to re-vamp our Steady Hand Game kits in order to create a stall that engaged other children and raised funds for the PTA. This involved soldering battery-operated fairy lights into hand game kits so that a completed circuit result-ed in a ‘buzz’ and lit up all the lights! The lights were displayed on 3D card-board trees also constructed by the children.

The children ran the stand themselves and at 20p a time, they managed to raise £10!’

An ingenious idea! Something for others to consider!

Various new projects are in development for the Clubs

including these programmable traffic

lights…. more news on

this and more in next issue!

Laing O’Rourke, a privately owned, internationally focused engineering enterprise, has offered a free six-month consultancy project to Imagineer-ing provided by some of its ‘Young Guns’ – fast-tracked employees who will be reviewing Imagineering’s strategy and implementation across Clubs and events.

Bob Shanks, Imagineering Chairman, said: “We are looking forward to working with the Laing O’Rourke team over the next few months and viewing our activities from a different perspective.”

With world-class capabilities, Laing O’Rourke delivers an integrated business model comprising a full range of engineering, construction and asset management services.

OUT and ABOUT

‘The Imagineer’ is published by the

Imagineering Foundation Reg Charity No: 1087783

The content of this newsletter was correct at time of publication

www.imagineering.org.uk

For comments please email: joy.jcm@btinternet.com

© Imagineering Foundation May 2014

Imagineering will be out and about at all kinds of events around the UK over

the next few months and 2014 got off to a lively start in London

January

Fun & Games at LMEE The London Model Engineering Exhibi-tion at Alexandra Palace was blessed this year with fair weather rather than deep snow as in 2013. This was re-flected in visitor numbers—10% up on previous years. Imagineering was joined on the stand this year by Mi-chael Denny and his Meccano models (below) which sat alongside the mod-ern technology of Vectric perfectly.

Association of Science Education-Annual Conference.

Imagineering took a table at the Alan Dale Tunnicliffe Memorial Primary Workshop, part of this major annual gathering of teachers and science educators, held this year in the impressive University of Birmingham.

Coming up in May….

Wed-Sat 28-31 May Imagineering Fair, Royal Bath & West Show, Shepton Mallet, Somerset.

The 13th year that Imagineering has had a major presence at this busy show. This year there is a bigger marquee than ever with new companies, like Brecknell Willis and Maplin, as well as the long-term and original supporters—like Agusta-Westland, Airbus, Rolls-Royce, togeth-er with BMT, GE Aviation, GE Oil & Gas, Thales and EDF Energy, to name a few. There will be scores of fun activities with challenges and prizes to be won. The BLOODHOUND SSC (Super Sonic Car) (below) will also be making an impressive appearance at the Fair and the Imagineering Fair Team Challenge will take place daily in the Imagineering Arena—with other fun stuff!

Other dates for the diary…..

Imagineering also has a presence at:

5-6 July RAF Waddington Air Show Near Lincoln—a new event for the team and

26 July RNAS Yeovilton International Air Day Ilchester, Somerset—with

regular supporters—Airbus, Agusta Westland, GE Aviation, GE Oil & Gas, Fleet Air Arm Museum and Michael Denny and his Meccano.

And a highlight this year…

8-9 November Midlands Imagineering Fair Jaguar Exhibition Hall Ricoh Arena, Coventry Supported by Jaguar Land Rover, this promises to be an exciting event and many well-known companies and household names who have already signed up.

CALLING ALL VOLUNTEERS! We need you!

STEM Ambassadors and volunteers of all kinds are very

welcome to join the fun at these events. There are all

kinds of tasks, free admission of course to the public

events—and a great deal of fun to be had! For more infor-mation, email Joy Smith on E: joy.jcm@btinternet.com

Imagineering continues to attract support for its various initia-tives in particular the Imagineering Fairs. Brecknell Willis of

Chard and Maplin Electronics Ltd, well-known High Street retail-er, have joined the companies supporting the Fair at the Bath &

West Show this year. Welcome to them both!

NEW FAIR PARTICIPANTS INCLUDE MAJOR RETAILER

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