Spirit of Apollo 13 Lives On
Solve the problem with what you have. That was the Apollo 13 challenge. On Thursday 19th October, 70 students from 7 different schools in Wirral and North East Wales came to Coleg Cambria to do just that. The challenge was not a busted spacecraft but to create a pipeline cleaning machine. The teams, aged between 11 and 17 had nothing more than wood, rubber bands, motors batteries and straws to design and construct a vehicle that could clear leaf litter from a pipeline. And the clock was ticking.
But within 4 frantic hours, these problem-solvers from St Richard Gwyn, West Kirby Grammar School, St Brigid’s Denbigh, Ysgol Uwchradd Glan Clwyd, Pensby High School,Hawarden High School and Flint High School had vehicles attempting the task. There were whoops and yells and fists punching the air when vehicle after vehicle cleared the debris.
“These are our future engineers” said organiser Steve Blakesley from the Rotary Club of Flint and Holywell, “And our future looks very bright indeed.”
Teamwork was the order of the day. Not only did students work effectively together but 4 Rotary Clubs (Flint & Holywell, North Wirral, Mold and Deeside) combined their talents to provide judges, marshals and school recruitment. Coleg Cambria is one of the largest provider of engineering apprenticeships in North Wales and working with sponsors, Airbus, they provided over a dozen young engineers to provide mentors and judges. The judging teams combined the experience of retired engineers from Mold Rotary with the youth and enthusiasm of Airbus apprentices. “The two generations learnt a lot from each other,” agreed Rotarian Leslie Butt and Lynn Williams Competition Events Director at Coleg Cambria.
Prizes and certificates were provided by Airbus, presented by Helen Lloyd Kerfoot (Education Partnership Manager, Airbus Broughton) to Foundation winners Flint High School, Intermediate AND overall winners St Richard Gwyn and to Hawarden High School who took the Advanced category prize.
Could your school compete and WIN next year? 
Flint High School
Overall winner – St. Richard Gwyn High School, Flint