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Big Ideas Programme 2023 so far…(North England)

March 14, 2023

Big Ideas Programme Coordinator, Matt Ronayne, reflects on the 2023 programme in North England so far…

Another wonderful Season of Big Ideas Days has come to an end. 15 schools in North England have participated in the centrepiece of our programme where whole year groups have come together and worked in teams to solve real world problems and consider ideas to make our world more sustainable.

Each day brought new and fresh perspectives to the same sustainability issues which we need to address. It is refreshing to know that young people have wonderful ideas that could support our planet in being more sustainable – they bring a new passion to a very difficult subject. They bring the hope in which our organisation relies on to make sure we can continue to be successful each year.

Through each Big Ideas Day students worked in teams to complete different tasks and then begin to solve an issue that matters to them. They were encouraged to think creatively and apply their STEM skills to real -world problems. The Big Ideas Days were made possible through the hard work and dedication of teachers to support us in arranging and planning the off-timetable day for the students and through the support of our national, regional, and local business partners who were able to provide expertise to the students on the day. I continue to be impressed with the teachers, mentors and students we work with to make sure this programme can be a success. It requires passionate people who want to provide a wonderful opportunity and platform for young people to create and share their ideas.

 With it being my second year in the role I was surprised to find that the young people we work with still continue to impress me with their ambitious but achievable Big Ideas. My favourite part of the programme is watching them present their ideas at the end of a Big Ideas Day. Can you imagine being 11-14 years old and presenting in front of 150 people? Well, they do it with elegance as they passionately talk us through how their idea will solve the issue they care about. They can now see they have the opportunity to make a difference, an opportunity to make this planet healthier. 

I will miss delivering Big Ideas Days for another year however the end of this part of the programme means we are now entering an exciting new stage. As I write this right now we have over 150 teams continuing with the programme and developing their ideas with the support of their schools and business mentors. They are working on building their business plan and realising how they can make their Big Idea a reality. They have until the 29th March to work on their ideas until we enter the first round of submissions and decide, with the help of our amazing judges, who will be joining us at the regional finals which will be held at 7 universities across England.

If you find yourself feeling hopeless about the future, then watch this space as you will see the next generation develop wonderful ideas that may one day be the key to solving all our issues. Young people are our future, and we hope to provide them a platform in which they can showcase how incredible they really are.

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