A student from Sandbach High School and Sixth Form College is set to compete at the finals of The Big Bang UK Young Scientists and Engineers competition.

Year 12 pupil Lucy Coleman's project to redesign the way people work from home caught the eye of competition judges with her unique design of a weather-proof open-air office

The design creates a solution to allow for a healthier work environment when working from home and it followed Lucy seeing her parents working throughout the pandemic and she set about creating a product that would provide the health benefits of working outdoors.

Lucy commented: "While my parents were working from home, we discovered our house wasn't set up to accommodate two office spaces and this resulted in someone constantly having to work in the kitchen, which was cramped and uncomfortable.

"Working in the same environment has been proven to lessen concentration, meaning tasks which would once have been completed quickly will take longer, leaving less time for activities like exercise or seeing friends, essential to maintain our mental health.

"It's been suggested that going outside for merely 45 minutes daily can counteract the negative effects of staying indoors.

" My design was developed to be easily modified to suit a range of households at a low cost, making it accessible for all."

Dr Hilary Leevers, Chief Executive for EngineeringUK, said: "Lucy really impressed the judges with their project that took a creative approach, drawing on their science, engineering and tech skills, to come up with a solution to real problems.

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"It is a huge achievement to progress to this stage of the Competition and they should be incredibly proud to take up their place and compete this year.

"We received hundreds of incredible entries and the quality of the work undertaken impresses us each year.

"Young people have shown incredible resilience and determination during the past couple of years and the ambition, passion and enthusiasm the students show for their projects is truly inspiring."

The winners in the science and engineering categories will receive a £750 prize, with three runners-up receiving £250 for their chosen project.

The award ceremony will also crown overall winners as UK Young Scientist of the Year and UK Young Engineer of the Year, who will receive a £2,000 prize.

Lucy is one of five finalists shortlisted for the prestigious title of UK Young Engineer of the Year and will discover at an award ceremony on Wednesday (June 22nd) at the Big Bang Fair.

For more information about The Big Bang Competition and The Big Bang Fair visit www.thebigbang.org.uk