STEM Archives - Page 10 of 12

Students from Aston University’s TEDx Society have announced their first-ever virtual TEDxAston event.

What’s the event?
TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience.

First announced on their website, the event will be held on 1^st August 2020 and centred around the theme of ‘Journeys’.

This virtual event will bring together a host of inspiring speakers to the virtual stage to share their own stories and how the experience of journey shapes society and the world around us. The event will also encourage attendees to reflect on their own personal journeys. Activities will include talks, performances, activities, networking opportunities and more.
Tickets are on sale now through Eventbrite. The standard ticket price is free and includes access to watch the event, followed by the “Exclusive Journey Pass” for £3.50 which offers additional benefits including Q&As, access to a networking platform and activities.

“Supporter” or “Premium Supporter” tickets are available for £10 – £30 for those wishing to show support for the not-for-profit, voluntary organisation and their work.

Buy tickets here

What’s TEDxAston?
TEDxAston is a series of events organised by Aston University students since 2013. Students range from freshers to PHD, volunteering their time and resource outside of their work and academic studies to design and deliver TEDxAston for the benefit of students and the local community.
The TEDxAston team of 20 students is supported by staff at Aston University and an advisory board made up of businesses including Millennium Point.

The journey of TEDxAston “Journeys’
The TEDx team have overcome several obstacles to achieve this event in-light of the Coronavirus pandemic. The team’s decision to move TEDxAston online was made in response to the uncertain situation of the pandemic.

Tristan Ripke, Student and Executive Director for TEDxAston, comments:

“The team’s decision to take the event online was a challenging one. We had to slow down at first to adjust to the new situation. However, we believe in TED’s mission of sharing ideas worth spreading and want TEDxAstonUniversity to benefit the local and regional community.”

“All the work is taking place from student bedrooms across Europe, Africa and Asia via Google Meet. It’s been a challenging adjustment for many members balancing academic and personal affairs alongside the pressures of the pandemic, which is why I’m very grateful to be working with such an amazing team.”

Why is this important?
Students at Aston University have risen to the challenge posed by COVID-19 and embraced technology to take their TEDx formula online. Not only does the organisation and “Journeys” seek to encourage education and discussion in Birmingham, but the journey the students themselves have taken demonstrates the resilience and commitment to providing opportunities for themselves and the wider community to learn and grow.

Buy tickets here

You can follow TEDxAston on their Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn for further updates.

Find more interesting content from Millennium Point over at our news section, or follow us for daily updates on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn with @MillenniumPoint.

Millennium Point is a landmark public building and multi-award-winning events venue in the Eastside of Birmingham City centre. Profits from our commercial activity are invested by the Millennium Point Charitable Trust into projects, events and initiatives which support the growth of science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) and education in the West Midlands.

Today is International Women in Engineering Day and we’re here to give you a quick lowdown on what it is and why it is important.

WHAT IS INTERNATION WOMEN IN ENGINEERING DAY?
International Women in Engineering Day (INWED) is an annual day of celebration which highlights the achievements of women in Engineering today and in the past. It’s also a day of action where schools, businesses and communities across the globe host events that celebrate and encourage women into Engineering. For more information, resources and news please check out the official INWED website here.

(Video Credit: INWED on Youtube)

WHAT IS IT TO MILLENNIUM POINT?
The Millennium Point Charitable Trust contributes more than £5m back into the West Midlands region through projects, events and initiatives. We work with schools, businesses, charities and not-for-profits to facilitate partnerships and lead the conversation on STEM in the region.

Our commitment to STEM includes reducing the skills gap and increasing inclusivity and equality within STEM education and industries. International Women in Engineering day is an important part of celebrating the work and livelihood of women who are changing the landscape of STEM – and we intend to do our part.

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO RECOGNISE WOMEN IN ENGINEERING?
That’s a big question. It forms part of a wider conversation covering a myriad of subjects and issues well beyond the purpose of this blog. However, it relates to the STEM skills gap. As of 2018, there is a shortfall of 173,000 skilled workers as 89% of businesses struggle to recruit. On average the shortage is costing businesses £1.5bn a year and hinders the economic growth of the UK.

Part of the problem is the lack of diversity and inclusion in STEM. Historically, STEM industries, particularly in engineering, have not been inclusive to women. According to Engineering UK 2018, 12.37% of all engineers are women in the UK. In education, only 46.4% of girls 11-14 would consider a career in engineering compared to 70.3% of boys. Add into the mixed-race, gender and sexuality and the figures are even lower.

What we see is a loss of potential talent through conditions which marginalise key groups like women in pursuing engineering. Events such as INWED and organisations like the Millennium Point Charitable Trust create opportunities which encourage change and support businesses and educators to create more inclusive environments; attracting more skilled women to step into those currently empty roles and reduce the skills gap.

WHAT CAN I DO?
Check out these websites:
These websites have information about INWED as well as general information, stats and useful resources on how to get involved and encourage more women into engineering.

Women’s Engineering Society
International Women in Engineering Day
STEM Learning

We also recommend checking out the 2019/2020 regional skills plan from the West Midlands Combined Authority.

Celebrate the past:
Learn about pioneering women in engineering like Sarah Guppy (1770 – 1852), Alice Perry (1885 – 1969) and Dorothy Donaldson Buchanan (1899 – 1985) among others. They are shown in order from left to right below.

Support the future:
Actively seek women currently in engineering roles and ask about what they do and their journey. Learn first-hand what it is like to be a woman in engineering in 2020. Similarly, talk about engineering with girls – whether that’s your daughter, your niece or a friend’s daughter.

THE MILLENNIUM POINT SCHOLARSHIP
The Millennium Point Charitable Trust fully funds one undergraduate degree each year at Birmingham City University’s Faculty of Computing, Engineering and the Built Environment. At the time of writing, we have two female engineers who have picked up the prize. If you or someone you know is looking to pursue a degree in engineering then apply over on our scholarship page.

Find more interesting content from Millennium Point over at our news section, or follow us for daily updates on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn with @MillenniumPoint.

Experts at Birmingham City University believe an £11.27bn investment in construction and a series of strategic decisions around the new home building can kick start the UK’s economic recovery and deliver a £33bn return for the Government.

Experienced regional economist Dr Steve McCabe and construction expert Mike Leonard have produced the Build Back Better: Covid-19 Economy Recovery Plan which features a blueprint for a safe return to construction, a set of recommendations to help stimulate demand for new homes and home improvement, and details on how to build essential infrastructure and train a new generation of skilled workers – acting as a catalyst for growth and delivering income for HMRC.

How would this work?

The plan, which follows a clear instruction from Prime Minister Boris Johnson that those in construction and manufacturing should now return to work, also calls on the Government to stand by its commitment to “do everything it takes” to fight the virus and support the UK economy, by investing £11.27bn in a wide-reaching programme, designed to create mass employment and produce a £33 billion return.

Authored by Birmingham City University’s Dr Steve McCabe, Associate Professor at the Institute for Design and Economic Acceleration and Mike Leonard, Visiting Professor of Manufacturing and Construction and founder of the Get Britain Building campaign, the hard-hitting and wide-ranging plan brings together all sectors of the construction industry for a solution-led approach.

What’s the proposed plan?

The full report can be downloaded here. Recommendations and observations in the plan include:

A phased return to work following specific guidelines can ensure the protection of construction sites during a pandemic
Small housebuilders, often highly efficient and providers of local employment and procurement must be given encouragement
Address fuel poverty through direct intervention by local authorities using local companies
Construction can offer long term skilled employment opportunities that can act as a catalyst in achieving inclusive economic growth
Provide incentives and highlight environmental benefits for consumers to replace inefficient and outdated gas boilers
30,000 new social houses built per year for the next three years will address living standards, mobility and some shortfall
Proposed Building Regulation changes should be delayed in light of exceptional circumstances posed by pandemic
Construction must be made more attractive as a career choice to young people through regional marketing campaigns

Of particular focus in Build Back Better: Covid-19 Economy Recovery Plan are SMEs, who dominate the sector, with a suggestion that UK Plc fully engages such businesses in order to build the infrastructure and new homes the UK needs, alongside investments to deal with fuel poverty and the upgrading of existing housing stock to meet the net-zero 2050 obligations.

What else do local experts say?

McCabe and Leonard – both based in the UK Midlands, an area KMPG has assessed as likely to be worst hit economically by the pandemic – also make strong recommendations to delay the introduction of non-safety related building regulations and provide a range of incentives to stimulate consumer demand, accelerate training and increase apprenticeship opportunities.

Mike Leonard, who is also CEO of Building Alliance, said, “History tells us that the construction industry is the tried and tested solution to drive economic recovery, not least due to the fact we manufacture the vast majority of building materials in the UK which provides resilience, skilled jobs and fast returns on investment. The upstream and downstream jobs in manufacturing, architecture, planning, engineering, distribution and construction, creates an unrivalled multiplier that can achieve inclusive growth, building back better and helping to rebalance our economy. Saving lives must remain our priority but we now have the signal to begin to safely unlock and begin the long path to economic recovery. Construction and the building materials manufacturers are now returning to work with the proper safeguards in place. We must now “Get Britain Building” and “Get Britain Working” delivering the scale of economic multiplier the county needs to bounce back stronger.”

Inward investment is key

Research carried out in 2018 by Birmingham City University and The Building Alliance calculated that building 300,000 homes a year using, as much as possible, British-made building materials and local builders, would generate an economic ‘uplift’ of more than £90 billion for the UK.

Dr Steve McCabe said, “Covid-19 has resulted in the loss of over 50,000 lives. The Government, quite rightly, locked the nation down to reduce the spread of the virus. However, recently published ONS (Office for National Statistics) data for GDP (Gross Domestic Product) in March clearly demonstrates that effectively closing down the economy through ‘lockdown’ has caused profound economic shock. It’s estimated that at least £2bn a day is being lost during the pandemic. The overall cost to the UK economy will exceed £300 billion and, depending on the speed of recovery, could be significantly higher. As and when it is safe to do so, a return in construction activity, as well as the building materials manufacturing supporting it, will underpin a fast and effective way to begin the process of recovery from what is the greatest shock to the UK’s economy in living memory.”

Millennium Point is the home of Birmingham City University’s Faculty of Computing, Engineering and the Built-Environment. Additionally, we are proud partners collaborating on the Millennium Point Scholarship initiative which promotes STEM higher education in the region with a fully-funded scholarship each yeat at the faculty.

Scholarship 2020 Finalists (From Left to Right) Kallum Wright, Chloe Copeland, Shennice Talburt, Lauren Davies, Amber Kelsey.

Find more interesting content from Millennium Point over at our news section, or follow us for daily updates on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn with @MillenniumPoint. Millennium Point is a landmark public building and multi-award-winning events venue in the Eastside of Birmingham City centre. Profits from our commercial activity are invested by the Millennium Point Charitable Trust into projects, events and initiatives which support the growth of science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) and education in the West Midlands.

Millennium Point has been around since the turn of the century. Yet when asked “what is Millennium Point?” you will get a number of different answers depending on who you ask. That’s because since our building opened 18 years ago (19 technically but we won’t tell if you don’t!), not only were we the catalyst for regeneration in the eastside of Birmingham city centre, but we have been, done and seen a lot of different things as our time as a landmark public building, multi-award winning venue and charitable trust. To illustrate our point, here are five things you probably didn’t know about Millennium Point:

1. We are an Award-Winning Venue
Millennium Point is a multi-award winning venue, with 17 event spaces including a large 354-seat auditorium, formerly one of the first IMAX in the West Midlands region. We’re also a member of venues of excellence, HBAA certified and we are proud to have an amazing events team with over 40 years of experience combined.

2. We Mingle With Royalty
Millennium Point was officially unveiled by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth ll on 2nd July 2002. Following her visit, she said she had no doubt Millennium Point would be used to ‘inspire the next generation who will shape the technology and industry of tomorrow’ (you can find her full speech here).

More recently we were joined by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle for our event on International Women’s Day in 2018 and were also visited by the Duchess of Cambridge during the launch of her national survey ‘Five Big Questions on the Under Fives’ in January of this year.

3. Our Charitable Trust
The Millennium Point Charitable Trust is one of the only two-millennium projects still in existence today. Profits from our commercial activity as an award-winning venue and landmark public building are contributed to the Millennium Point Charitable Trust and over £5m has already been invested.

We plan to continue supporting and facilitating great projects, events and initiatives across the West Midlands that support the growth of Science, Tech, Engineering and Maths (STEM) and help the region thrive.

4. We’ve Featured in Various Films
Millennium Point is no stranger to the silver screen- As well as hosting the annual Birmingham Film Festival, we’ve also had our fair share of the spotlight being featured in various films, interviews and TV programmes, usually as a backdrop. One of our highlights includes being a Police Station in the first series of ‘Line of Duty’ back in 2012.

5. Our Annual Scholarship Programme
The Millennium Point Charitable Trust is proud to have supported five incredible and ambitious individuals by funding an undergraduate degree for each, through the annual Millennium Point Scholarship Programme.

The sixth individual was selected in March this year and is set to start her degree in September.

There you have it! We can’t wait to open our doors once again and welcome you back for a host of new and fabulous experiences.

Students from the University of Birmingham spearheaded a fully online, people-focused hackathon, Hack Quarantine, which brought people together virtually from across the globe to use their skills to help combat the issues the world is facing with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Wait, what’s a hackathon?
It’s not about hacking into a system. A hackathon is an invention marathon bringing together people of all backgrounds and skill levels to build a project related to technology in a short space of time. It’s “hacking” a problem or a challenge together while learning from peers and the process itself.

Millennium Point has previously hosted several hackathons in our award-winning venue including HacktheMidlands, supported through our charitable trust.

HacktheMidlands opening ceremony in Millennium Point’s 354 seat Auditorium

What happened?
Taking place between 23^rd March and 16^th April, Hack Quarantine brought together more than 3,500 skilled learners and workers globally across science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM). The event was organised by local computer science students primarily from the University of Birmingham. Participants signed up via the developer’s blog and received updates, socialised and mentored each other primarily through Discord, a popular voice and messaging platform (VoIP) initially designed for online multiplayer gaming.

Participants from 153 countries joined forces in groups of up to four to create a variety of projects from apps to software that tackled obstacles across four “tracks”:

Supporting people quarantined or at risk
Tech and Health
Remote working
Improving awareness and behaviour

More than 250 projects and 130 demo videos were submitted to the Hack Quarantine team who awarded the best in each track among other accolades.

In addition to the hack itself, the team also delivered over 70 talks, workshops, games and even a pose party over streaming platform Twitch to educate and entertain participants throughout the marathon event. Initially watched by over 45,000 people, all of this has been archived and can be viewed over on their YouTube.

Who was behind it?
The event was organised by Birmingham resident and Leeds undergraduate Jacklyn Biggin and a University of Birmingham second-year undergraduate Will Russell.

The event was organised by local Birmingham students Will Russell (Left) and Jacklyn Biggin (Right)

“It was an incredible experience”, comments Will Russell, co-event organiser.

“With in-person hackathons postponed all over the world, we wanted to create an online community for people to continue to learn, build and share during this pressing time. We recognised there were a lot of problems surrounding COVID-19 and wanted to help the community build solutions to tackle them.”

Jacklyn and Will were supported by a team comprised primarily of students including PhD student and founder of local hackathon, HacktheMidlands, Tom Goodman and fifth year undergraduate and regional coordinator for oSTEM incorporated, Avery Cunningham both of whom joined the team as Science Leads.

Additionally, the global event was developed and delivered in partnership with more than 50 STEM organisations from across the world.

Will comments: “It was an inexplicable feeling seeing people from all over the world come together for a common cause. We really didn’t know what to expect with very little time to plan but were overwhelmed by the response from people and organisations and the sheer quality of submissions – it was incredible!”

West Midlands is a hotbed for STEM talent

Birmingham and the West Midlands is a hotbed for STEM talent. A joint deep dive report by Birmingham City University and the Regional Observatory surmised that Digital Technology alone will bring £2.2 billion to the West Midlands economy by 2025. A figure supported in no small way by the growth of an emerging youth market like the budding talent behind Hack Quarantine.

Young people are the driving force behind digital tech in the West Midlands (Image Credit: HacktheMidlands)

“We received incredible support and participants from a number of organisations and institutions in the West Midlands.” Comments Science Lead at Hack Quarantine and PhD student Tom Goodman. “These included HackTheMidlands, the BCS (through the Birmingham Branch), and the University of Birmingham.”

“One of the huge challenges we faced was getting people in STEM (beyond technology) involved in the event – unlike standard hackathons, we quickly realised a significant need to engage with scientists from across the spectrum.”

Organisations like HacktheMidlands, BrumSciComm, oSTEM incorporated and University of Birmingham’s own Institute of Microbiology and Infection supported the Hack Quarantine team in recruitment and promotion in the wider scientific community.

“Through the support of these fantastic local organisations, we were able to mobilise a swathe of motivated and driven scientists, programmers, engineers, and others, to get involved with the event. We really wouldn’t have been able to do quite so much without the supportive and motivated STEM community here in the West Midlands.”

What happens now?
All submissions can be found on the devblog which is now being used as a platform for governments and frontline organisations worldwide to utilise.

Any organisations wishing to use or build-upon the projects submitted as part of the hackathon can contact the organisers or developers directly through the website.

This blog was written as part of Millennium Point’s charitable objectives we’re publishing stories to highlight individuals and organisations who support the growth of Science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) in the region. If you have a story you would like us to cover, please get in touch.

Find more interesting content from Millennium Point over at our news section, or follow us for daily updates on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn with @MillenniumPoint.

Over the last 12 months, we have visited numerous recipients of our Millennium Point Charitable Trust Small Grant programme to see how they are progressing with their respective projects.

Our visit to Montgomery Primary Academy school in Sparkbrook, Birmingham, proved particularly insightful and interesting.

The school welcomed grant recipients The Play House, a leading theatre-in-education charity making participatory drama for children and young people in the midlands.

Daughters of Invention

The Play House delivered their interactive theatre project “Daughters of Invention”, funded through a grant from the Millennium Point Charitable Trust in 2019.

“Daughters of Invention” is an educational performance based on engineering history. The project brings real-life engineers together with actors and storytelling, designed to raise young peoples aspirations and inspire interest in engineering.

Women in Engineering

In particular, the project seeks to inspire girls into engineering and elevate the work of female engineers. The Play House brings to life the nineteenth-century Birmingham-based engineer Sarah Guppy, who, alongside being a prolific inventor was also the first woman to patent a bridge.

A unique experience

This unique experience proved beneficial to the pupils, who enjoyed a different sort of lesson, thanks to the acting skills of Play House Head of Programmes Juliet Fry and her team.

Over £400,000 grant funding has been used across a variety of science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) related activities, from creating dedicated resource rooms at schools, funding learning clubs, running activity programmes and organising careers fairs encouraging girls into STEM.

We would like to thank the staff at Montgomery Primary Academy for being so welcoming to Millennium Point and our Interim CEO Abbie Vlahakis.

250 students from 22 schools and colleges across the West Midlands descended on our landmark venue, Millennium Point, last month in Birmingham to take part in an eclectic festival of employment workshops and careers activities, designed to inspire interest in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) opportunities.

What is it?

Funded by our charitable trust and delivered by social enterprise Ahead Partnership; one of several recipients of the 2019/20 Millennium Point Charitable Trust’s Small Grants Programme, #STEMFestWM saw local businesses join forces to address the STEM skills deficit and help to maximise the sector’s potential to incite regional economic growth.

The second hugely successful festival was hosted in our multi-award-winning venue over 3 days and attracted an exceptional turnout of young people and employers, so much so that the festival was oversubscribed with requests from school and college to attend.

What happened?

Supported by numerous reputable businesses from across the West Midlands including PwC, InterCity Technology and Pinsent Masons, #STEMFestWM provided local employers with the opportunity to engage directly with secondary school and post-16 students, aiding their employees’ personal development whilst raising awareness of careers and opportunities within the STEM sector.

The first day of activity saw over 150 female Year 8 students come together at Millennium Point for the #GirlTechWM event to learn more about the Digital and Technology sectors across rotational mini-workshops run by a host of local employers.

The last day of activity proved most popular, with around 180 Year 9 and 10 students partaking in speed-networking style workshops and interactive careers panels. Post-16 students were also invited to visit PwC, InterCity Technology and Pinsent Masons offices throughout the week, to gain first-hand of experience of what it’s like to work for the organisations involved.

Addressing the regional skills gap

In a region where 89% of STEM businesses face difficulty recruiting the necessary talent, the extremely high demand from West Midlands schools demonstrated the appetite for careers activities focused on STEM roles amongst young people.

We’ve talked previously about the importance of addressing the STEM skills gap in the West Midlands and how we are facilitating change through supporting wonderful partners such as Ahead Partnership.

Following the first day of #STEMFestWM, 73% of students that attended agreed that they would now consider a career in the digital and tech sectors – which are projected to bring in more than £1.3bn alone to the West Midlands by 2025.

This 3-day festival follows in the wake of last year’s event — also funded and hosted by Millennium Point.

“A clear need for this type of initiative”

Stephanie Burras CBE, Chief Executive of Ahead Partnership, said: “We are very proud of the success of our second STEM festival in the West Midlands.”

“The growing scale of this event demonstrates a clear need for this type of initiative in the region, and it is our mission to equip young people with better awareness of and access to the fantastic opportunities available to them.”

“The STEM sector has significant potential to add huge value to the West Midlands economy, and with exciting milestones for the region approaching, such as the 2022 Commonwealth Games, the number of roles out there and the pressure to fulfil these is only going to increase. As such, we are proud to be supporting the region’s growing skills demand in a way that is inclusive and accessible to young people.”

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(Above) We catch up with Stephanie Burras, Chief Executive of Ahead Partnership for a closer look at what they do and the funding they received from us in 2019.

Abigail Vlahakis, CEO of Millennium Point, said: “2018/19 marked an incredibly successful first year for our Small Grants Programme and we are delighted to have been able to build on this activity in 2019/20, with a programme of STEM activities which is even bigger and more diverse in scope.

“Our region has great potential for growth in the STEM sector, but we are facing concerning difficulties in meeting the sector’s skills demand. Ahead Partnership’s work is aligned with our own ambitions to enhance STEM learning and career aspirations in the West Midlands, and we’re delighted to fund this hugely worthwhile project that has seen so many young people leave engaged and inspired.”

Katherine Bond, National Schools Engagement Manager at PwC, also added: “The STEM sector in the West Midlands is becoming one of our most important industries and this festival is a fantastic way for young people to become more aware of upcoming opportunities, whilst helping us to future-proof our own workforce pipeline.

“This event has grown in size and scale this year, along with the skills demand of our region, and so we’re proud to have worked with Millennium Point Charitable Trust, Ahead Partnership and the other businesses involved as part of this incredibly important initiative once again, which will not only benefit our sector, but more importantly, our young people.”

Footage from the festival was recorded by media students from South & City College and shared across social media. The festival forms part of a busy calendar of skills initiatives delivered by Ahead Partnership across the country that seek to raise young people’s career aspirations, help businesses acquire sector-fulfilling talent and develop young people’s social capital.

Any employers interested in finding out how they can support this work can find out more by contacting Ahead Partnership on 0300 124 0496.

Staff at Bishop Vesey Grammar School, Sutton Coldfield, have been putting their design technology equipment and technical knowledge to good use to produce crucial personal protective equipment (PPE) for NHS staff and key workers at several hospitals and nursing homes across Greater Birmingham and the Black Country.

What are they doing?

Staff with the help of several year 7 students have produced 480 mask clips and 32 face visors using materials available. Machines used to produce the vital protective equipment have primarily been a laser cutter. Additional components have been produced using a 3D printer purchased using the grant funding awarded to the school in 2018 by the Millennium Point Charitable Trust as part of our annual STEM grants initiative.

This initiative by the school comes as a response to growing national concerns over insufficient supplies of PPE, crucial to protecting staff on the front line of the COVID-19 epidemic.

Visors produced at the school using equipment funded by Millennium Point.

Headteacher at the school, Dominic Robson comments: “These are very challenging times for our health service.

“Design Technology staff at Bishop Vesey’s Grammar School, Skye Bowen and Andrea Gregory, answered the call to use their skills to create PPE for our front-line NHS workers.”
“They want to do even more and that’s why we are appealing for support from the business and wider community.”

Where is it going?

The PPE equipment already produced has been delivered to Good Hope Hospital; Sandwell Hospital, City Hospital, New Cross Hospital, Heartlands Hospital and Walsall Manor Hospital; and are currently being used by staff treating patients.

More support needed.

Several hospitals and nursing homes have come forward to request PPE equipment from the school. The former grant recipient is also considering expanding the range of items they are producing depending on the materials they can acquire.

The school has received donations of materials from several generous sources including families of students, John Wilmott School, Fosco Hayes Hurdley and a former pupil, who has provided enough materials for an additional 500 visors.

Offers of manufacturing support from Fairfax Academy, Arthur Terry School and Plantsbrook School as well as staffing support from John Wilmott School. However, there is still much more support needed.

Head of Design Technology at the school, Skye Bowen, comments: “We have been overwhelmed with the offers of PVC from the community and the support from parents and fellow institutions.

“To keep up with demand we are now asking for donations of Polypropylene (0.75mm)”

Interim CEO of Millennium Point, Abbie Vlahakis comments: “We are moved by the actions of Bishop Vesey Grammar School to help protect our local key workers during this crucial time.

“We are delighted that in some small way our grant funding has helped equip the school to facilitate such an amazing use of their DT resources.”

“Now we urge local business leaders and the community to join us in supporting this fantastic initiative.”

For further information or to offer your support to school please contact Mrs S Bowen [email protected]

Our latest scholarship competition ended in style in mid-March with a fantastic live final following a record-breaking year for applications.

What’s the Scholarship?

Our Millennium Point Scholarship is an annual competition open to students across the West Midlands. It provides one lucky winner with a fully funded undergraduate degree and opportunities and support for up to five finalists.

This year we received more applications than ever before from students across the region looking to take their first big steps in their careers and tackle the big issues facing the west midlands in the years to come.

“All five finalists were incredible”

A live final event at Millennium Point, held in our 354-seat Auditorium, marked the culmination of this year’s competition, with five finalists each presenting on local issues such as affordable housing, cyber harassment, fake news and battling flooding. You can see a round-up of the event below:

Five business leaders from across Birmingham’s business community were selected to assess the finalists, giving feedback on their presentation style and content.

Winner Shennice Talburt, currently working as a paralegal, will now study Real Estate at Birmingham City University’s Faculty of Computing, Engineering and the Built Environment, with her degree paid for by the Millennium Point Charitable Trust.

*Photo caption: L/R – Hanifah Shah (BCU), Abbie Vlahakis (Millennium Point) Shennice Talburt (Scholarship winner) Professor Nick Morton (BCU)*

Shennice, from Birmingham, said: “I am so proud to have been selected as the winner of this year’s Millennium Point Scholarship. All five finalists were incredible, with great ideas and the drive and determination to carry them out.”

“This is something I have kept quiet and focused on by myself, so it will be some surprise for my family when I tell them. I think the housing crisis is a major issue that needs creative thinking and I want to bring new ideas to the table and help the millions of people who are suffering as a result of this situation.”

What happens next for our winner and finalists?

While the winner will enrol on an undergraduate course at Birmingham City University, the other four finalists will receive ongoing support towards their careers including coaching, mentoring and industry work experience provided through Millennium Point.

Abigail Vlahakis, CEO at Millennium Point, said: “The quality of our finalists has blown me away, they are all so inspiring.

“I would like to congratulate them all, but especially Shennice, whose ideas really shone a light on possible solutions to one of the biggest issues in the region.”

“Exciting, valuable and impactful initiative”

Hanifah Shah, a judge in the final and Executive Dean of Birmingham City’s University’s Faculty of Computing, Engineering and the Built Environment, said: “The drive, determination and desire to change society for the better through the application of engineering and technology is incredibly strong in all five finalists.

“We’re delighted that Shennice will be joining the Faculty of Computing Engineering and the Built Environment later this year with the Millennium Point Scholarship and look forward to working with the runners up as well.

“Birmingham City University extends its thanks to all involved in this exciting, valuable and impactful initiative and event.”

This project is one of several ways our organisation is supporting the growth of science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) in the region.

More than £5 million in profits from the commercial activity of our multi-award-winning Birmingham venue and landmark public building, Millennium Point, is invested by our Charitable Trust into projects, events and initiatives which support the growth and development of STEM initiatives in the West Midlands region. For more information, please see our charity page here.

We’re delighted to announce the latest recipient of the Millennium Point Scholarship, which fully funds an undergraduate degree at Birmingham City University.

Shennice Talburt, currently working as a paralegal, will now study Real Estate at Birmingham City University’s Faculty of Computing, Engineering and the Built Environment, with her degree paid for by the Millennium Point Charitable Trust; is aiming to help solve the UK’s housing crisis – starting with the West Midlands – after impressing judges and a live final audience to win the prize.

More than 160 applications were received from across the West Midlands for this year’s scholarship programme, which is in its sixth year, representing a new record.

A group of five business leaders from across Birmingham’s business community were selected to assess the finalists, who presented their ideas for the future to a live crowd.

Winner Shennice, from Birmingham, said: “I am so proud to have been selected as the winner of this year’s Millennium Point Scholarship.

“All five finalists were incredible, with great ideas and the drive and determination to carry them out.

“This is something I have kept quiet and focused on by myself, so it will be some surprise for my family when I tell them.

“I think the housing crisis is a major issue that needs creative thinking and I want to bring new ideas to the table and help the millions of people who are suffering as a result of this situation.”

More than £5 million in profits from the commercial activity of the multi-award-winning Birmingham venue Millennium Point is invested by its Charitable Trust into projects, events and initiatives which support the growth and development of STEM initiatives in the West Midlands region.

The scholarship programme is a key part of this charitable calendar.

While the winner will enroll on an undergraduate course at Birmingham City University, the other four finalists will receive ongoing support towards their careers including coaching, mentoring and industry work experience provided through Millennium Point.

Abigail Vlahakis, CEO at Millennium Point, said: “The quality of our finalists has blown me away, they are all so inspiring.

“I would like to congratulate them all, but especially Shennice, whose ideas really shone a light on possible solutions to one of the biggest issues in the region.”

Hanifah Shah, a judge in the final and Executive Dean of Birmingham City’s University’s Faculty of Computing, Engineering and the Built Environment, said: ““The drive, determination and desire to change society for the better through the application of engineering and technology is incredibly strong in all five finalists.

“Birmingham City University extends its thanks to all involved in this exciting, valuable and impactful initiative and event.”

The scholarship is an annual competition to encourage young people in the West Midlands to pursue science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) at higher education level by fully funding their tuition fees alongside other opportunities provided through the Millennium Point Charitable Trust. If you are interested in knowing more then please visit our page here.