Amey is proud to have empowered the next generation of young women engineers and innovators by hosting the Amey Challenge Cup, a unique competition that amplifies the voices of Bradford’s students.
The event saw 43 young women from 5 schools compete to win the Challenge Cup trophy. Following Amey’s decision to second a graduate to Bradford Council, opportunities for collaboration between both organisations have proved to be an excellent approach to building social value in the city.
Designed to bridge the gender diversity gap in STEM, the Amey Challenge Cup invites young women in years 8 and 9 to participate in an engineering project. The event shows the varying pathways into STEM, builds essential skills, and inspires girls to consider sustainability in their future careers.
Last year, Amey’s Bradford Challenge Cup challenged students to create and present ideas for a sustainable school, but this year’s task was much closer to home. With Bradford being named the City of Culture 2025, the district is experiencing many exciting developments. One area of investment is in south Bradford, a project which has been named the Southern Gateway, an area that became the focus of this year’s Bradford Challenge Cup.
Following discussions about the Southern Gateway, Amey and Bradford Council saw the opportunity to tailor the annual Challenge Cup to allow young people in Bradford to hear about the Southern Gateway and have a say in what they would like to see for the future of their city. The Challenge Cup initiative was therefore changed to ‘Build a sustainable Southern Gateway’.
The challenge also introduced Amey to a small team at The University of Bradford who printed a 3D model of The Southern Gateway which was able to be manipulated using a projector. This fantastic visual allowed the students to become immersed in the future of their city, recognise iconic buildings, and project their own creations onto the model.
Ian Warren, Public Estates Business Director for Amey, said: “This is the second time a member of Amey has been seconded to Bradford Council and the secondment continues to be an exceptional method of collaboration which allows us to work together to benefit the people of Bradford. Social value is at the heart of the Challenge Cup, and it is rewarding to be able to reach the communities we operate in through giving back to schools in this way, especially with a real-life project like the Southern Gateway.”
Amey, Bradford Council, and The University of Bradford are pleased with the success of the Challenge Cup and are keen to work together in the future to continue celebrating social value in Bradford.
Cllr Susan Hinchcliffe, Leader of Bradford Council, said: "Congratulations to Beckfoot School and everyone who took part in the Amey Challenge Cup. I was delighted to see so many young people engaged and thinking about the future of our district. This event showcases the strong partnership between Amey and Bradford Council as well as being a testament to the power of collaboration between the public and private sectors to achieve shared goals and have a positive impact on the district’s future”