Celebrating nine years of impact with the Berkeley Foundation

Last week, Imperial’s Makerspace celebrated nine years of partnership and support from the Berkeley Foundation.

The Berkeley Foundation has supported outreach and community engagement activities with local young people at the Makerspace for nine years. As the funding comes to a close, Imperial marked the milestone on Thursday 17 September with a special event at the Invention Rooms in White City, celebrating the impact the programmes have had on local young people.

At the event, Professor Maggie Dallman, Associate-Provost Societal Engagement said, “When we talk about nine years of funding, we are really talking about nine years of opportunity – the opportunity for young people to be curious, to experiment, to overcome setbacks and to discover that they have the skills and agency to develop ideas that improve the world around them.”

Sally Dickinson (left) speaking with a Maker Challenge participant who invented a glove that translates sign language into writing.

As well as funding, the Berkeley Foundation has offered work placements and site visits for young people on the Makerspace programmes. In her speech, Sally Dickinson, Head of the Berkeley Foundation described the partnership as extraordinary. “At the Berkeley Foundation, we believe that where a young person starts in life should never determine what they are able to achieve,” she said.

The Berkeley Foundation has supported the Makerspace’s two flagship programmes – the Maker Challenge and the Proto-Maker Challenge – as well as community initiatives and careers support. These activities have given over 2,000 young people access to world-class facilities, expert guidance, innovative technology and hands-on learning experiences, enabling them to develop creativity, problem-solving, resilience and self-belief, alongside STEM skills.

“While statistics are important,” said Sally, “what stays with me are the stories. The creativity displayed in this room is remarkable. Ideas that tackle genuine challenges, thoughtful design processes, technical skills and entrepreneurial thinking.”

Irena Rozycka (middle) is a previous Maker Challenge participant who later joined the Makerspace team as their Technical Assistant. She led tours of the Makerspace at the event highlighting some of the participants’ projects on display and how their facilities enabled them to be created.

The event was attended by staff from both Imperial and Berkeley as well as current and past participants of the programmes. It included tours of the Makerspace as well as showcase of stories of young people who have been through the programmes and the impact they have had on them.

Aaron Vidal, for example, completed the Maker Challenge in 2019. He went on to a degree apprenticeship with Airbus and Southampton Solent University, graduating with a first in Electronic Engineering, before joining Imperial for a Master's in Design Engineering last year. At the event, he shared a copy of his personal statement which included a long passage about what he had achieved and learnt through the Maker Challenge.

Aaron Vidal giving a presentation at the celebration event sharing his experiences of the Makerspace and what they have led to.

Reflecting on his experience, he said, “Having access to these resources at the Makerspace, you come to understand that the only limit is your imagination. I attribute where I am now, in no small part, to my experiences on programmes like these. Which is why I personally aim so stay within STEM outreach to pay forward the opportunities I had to a new generation of young people.” 

On display at the event were some of the inventions created by young people on the programmes, including a glove that translates sign language into writing called ‘Sign Scribe’ and a key hook that stops you forgetting your keys when you leave the house called ‘Jingle’. “The creativity and ingenuity you see on display here is exactly what we seek to unlock in young people,” says Becca Sweeney, the Makerspace Programmes Manager.

 Information on the Jingle and Sign Scribe inventions on display.

Closing, Professor Maggie Dallman said, “Programmes like these only exist because of philanthropic partners like the Berkeley Foundation, who have believed in our vision from the beginning. We are immensely grateful to them for their longstanding commitment to this work, and to all those from the Berkeley Group who have willingly given their time and support – you have all been such an important part of the Makerspace journey.” 

Imperial is actively seeking new partners to sustain and ensure the impact of our White City Makerspace for the next generation of young innovators. Gabbie Filmer-Pasco, Trusts and Foundations Manager at Imperial, says, “We are looking to connect with Trusts, Foundations and Corporate partners who share our passion for hands-on STEAM learning and youth development to unlock local talent and potential. I would encourage anyone interested to get in touch.”