Bigger and better than ever!
The Imagineering Fair, one of the major attractions at the Royal Bath & West Show, Shepton Mallet, returns to this popular family show again this year. Bigger than ever, there are scores of free, fun-packed activities on twenty stands for children of all ages, encouraging today’s youngsters to become tomorrow’s engineers. Visitor figures to the Fair this year are expected to surpass last year’s 20,000 figure.
Special activities have been organised by some of the UK’s most prestigious companies and organisations. From submarines to aerospace – and everything in between – there are opportunities to learn about how things are designed, how they are made and how they work. From machining, milling and laser-cutting to CADCAM, aerodynamics and robotics – there is something for everyone, with opportunities for some close-up inspection of some fascinating equipment from the Royal Navy, Royal Air Force and the Army.
There are some exciting highlights of this year’s Fair to look out for:
• The Imagineering Team Challenge – A new thrilling daily Main Ring event where teams of apprentices and young engineers from Airbus, Rolls Royce, Bristol and Westland Helicopters, Yeovil race 3/4 tonne Army trailers around a demanding obstacle course and against the clock, under the watchful eye of REME adjudicators, testing the teams’ ingenuity and strength. The teams will be competing for a magnificent Bristol Blue Glass Trophy donated by the Fleet Air Arm Museum.
• Westland Schools Challenge – featuring Stanchester School from Stoke-sub-Hamdon and Bucklers Mead School from Yeovil competing twice a day every day in some challenging engineering projects.
• West of England Aerospace Forum has a special guest popping in during the Fair in the form of Robbie the Talking Robot.
• There is free entry to a Grand Draw for a mountain bike, kindly donated by REME (Royal Electrical & Mechanical Engineers)
Imagineering, the exciting initiative designed to promote engineering to young people as a future career, was first developed in the Midlands. Its main aim is to introduce 8-16 year olds to the exciting creative world of engineering and manufacturing through fun, hands-on activities, hopefully to encourage them to consider engineering as a future career and fill the ever-widening skills gaps in industry.
Participants at Imagineering Fair 2005 include: Airbus, BMT Defence Services, City of Bristol College, Fleet Air Arm Museum, Glos Setpoint, Jaguar F1 in Schools with Avon Vale Training, John Cabot City Tech. College, Imagineering Clubs, 6 Bn REME (Royal Electrical & Mechanical Engineers), Rolls-Royce, Rotork, Royal Air Force, Royal Navy, SWMAS, Thales, University Centre Yeovil, West of England Aerospace Forum, Westland Helicopters, Yeovil College/Aim Higher.
Imagineering in the Southwest at the Royal Bath & West Show has been developed in association with Year in Industry and is supported by the West of England Aerospace Forum, Airbus, BMT Defence Services Ltd, Buro Happold, 6 Bn REME (Royal Electrical & Mechanical Engineers), Rotork Controls Ltd, Rolls-Royce Setpoint (Gloucester), Thales, Westland Helicopters, University of Bristol, and Yeovil College.