Teaching us a thing or two: the Youth Design Challenges Awards

Yesterday, I had the honour of presenting awards at the Global Goals Centre Youth Design Challenges Awards (sponsored by the Steve Sinnott Foundation). I was also joined by Mya-Rose Craig, a young birder, environmentalist and campaigner; Cllr Jos Clark, the Lord Mayor; and Jenny Foster, who is the Global Goals Centre Co-Founder and Project Lead.

The challenge posed to young people across the city was to design a fun, interactive space for people to discover the social and environment impacts of the fashion industry, and to also find positive ways to respond. The challenge links to the Global Goals Centre’s aim to create the world’s first immersive visitor and education centre in Bristol to bring the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals to life.

The SDGs are a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet and improve the lives and prospects of everyone, everywhere. They comprise 17 goals which were adopted by all UN Member States in 2015, as part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development which set out a 15-year plan to achieve the Goals. In Bristol, we have adopted these goals into our One City approach, so that all we do is measured against them. Delivering against the SDGs is part of our global responsibility in an interdependent world.

I am delighted to share the work of the winners with you on my blog today.

Esme Green and Zach Platt, from Westbury Park Primary, dazzled the judges with their ideas of a climbing wall where you discover a new fact as you climb up; using the floor to show key messaging as you step on it; an interactive globe; and a mending circle to preserve the life of your clothes.

Ideas from Esme (left) and Zach (right)

Martha Pykett, from Cotham School, swept to victory with her idea for a patch station to design and print a patch on a 3D-printer to mend clothes, and going inside a massive t-shirt to start your journey of discovery about fashion.

Martha’s work

I must also mention entrants whose ideas were ‘Highly Commended’ by the judges and were just pipped to the post:

  • Ameerah Ntege
  • Daisy Dimbleby
  • Esme Jones
  • Hannah Sykes
  • Olivia Ellis
  • West of England Centre for Independent Living Youth Group

It was an amazing opportunity to be a part of these awards, celebrating young people’s innovation and creativity. The young people of Bristol are not just the next leaders, the next big thinkers, and the next creative masterminds of our city and of our world – they have a say right now. Decisions that are made today affect their generation now and in the future: their voices matter, their  engagement with the Sustainable Development Goals matters, and their contribution to us building a fairer, healthier, and more sustainable world does too.

Thank you to the Global Goals Centre for inviting me to present the awards and congratulations to all of the inspiring young people who took part. I can’t wait to see what you come up with next! To find out more about the Global Goals Centre and the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, visit https://www.globalgoalscentre.org/.