A hackathon brought together 26 young finalists to make their bid to contribute to a greener, fairer, climate-smart world.
Judges were unanimous in their choice of the winning team from Queen Elizabeth High,
Carmarthenshire, who addressed the challenge of fast fashion waste by designing personalised soft toys that use waste fabric which would otherwise end up in landfill. In coming up with their solution, they impressed judges by showing insight into the scale and complexity of the problem, testing their idea with local businesses and charity shops, and developing a design prototype.
Other teams were also commended for their innovative ideas, with Milford Haven School’s ‘Cafe Cleddau’ involving a solar-powered boat to connect communities up and down the Haven – tourists by day, party-goers by night. Their design included a ‘soft play’ area on deck, sustainable food snacks, and back-up hydro-powered batteries for cloudy days.
All finalist teams won vouchers for an ethical online store ‘Social Supermarket’ and the winning team a £300 cash prize to build biodiversity projects at their school.
The event- held annually- was hosted by Cymbrogi Futures- a Pembrokeshire-born education enterprise whose mission is to nurture and skill up ‘Tomorrow’s Changemakers’ for a net-zero future. It was the climax of a year-long learning programme supported by business partners committed to enabling a next generation of ‘green skills’ in Wales: the Port of Milford Haven, who operate the UK’s leading energy port, and Cwm Environmental, one of the country’s leading recycling centres.
The judging panel was made up of representatives from the challenge sponsors, local government and the Senedd, including MS for South Pembs & Carmarthenshire Sam Kurtz, Councillor Aled Vaughn Owen, the Future Generations Leadership Academy and Carmarthenshire LEA.
Samuel Kurtz MS, said:
“Witnessing the curiosity, bright ideas, and ingenuity of these students has been truly inspiring. Ambition is critical, and the enthusiasm and vision shown by these students demonstrate that they are ready to embrace the challenges and opportunities the world has to offer.
“My sincere thanks to Liza, Ian, and all participating schools for their dedication. I am confident that the students will gain immense value from this experience, and I look forward to seeing Cymbrogi continue to provide transformative opportunities for young people in the years to come.”
Anna Malloy, Communications and Marketing Director at the Port of Milford Haven added:
“The Port is proud to be part of this incredible initiative, where young minds are coming together to shape the future of Wales in the face of climate change. As we work towards a net-zero future, it’s vital that we empower the next generation with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to lead the charge. The Tomorrow’s Changemakers programme is a testament to the power of community collaboration and the vital role we all play in driving positive change for future generations.”
Ariana, team leader of winning team Queen Elizabeth High, said:
‘It has enabled me to incorporate real-life experiences into the classroom as I planned for pupils to interact with industry experts… It was very exciting when they began receiving replies and communication to grow their sustainable ideas!’ (Nia John, lead teacher QE High)
‘The skills I most enjoyed learning were collaboration, which I feel will help me in the future…I hope to further this idea and I am really keen to start our school’s Climate Action group following on from this project. Finally, it really allowed my creativity to flourish as part of the project, which was great.”
Liza Lort-Phillips, Founder, Cymbrogi, said:
‘We’ve put young learners in the same room as business leaders and change-makers from all walks of life. We’re giving them some ‘wicked world problems’ to work on and they’ve all been rewarded for their collective solutions. Let’s not forget: this is the generation that will face far greater challenges in a climate-changed world than any of us. If we can light the fire of their imaginations now, just imagine what they will be capable of in the future.”
