19 June 2017

Thousands of young people are expected at the South of England Showground next week for one of the biggest science festivals ever staged in south-east England.

The sixth annual Big Bang Fair South East, on 28th June, will be attended by over 8,000 students and their teachers from almost 200 schools across the region. The event, which is also sponsored by Coast to Capital, is part of the nationwide Big Bang Near Me programme, the biggest single celebration of science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) for young people in the UK.

 

Over 190 companies, professional bodies and educational institutions will provide more than 250 STEM-related interactive workshops, shows and demonstrations aimed at giving young people a fun and exciting insight into future courses and careers.

 

Headline sponsor of the event is Gatwick Airport Limited. Paula Aldridge, Gatwick's Community Engagement Manager said:

 

"Gatwick is proud to be the headline sponsor of this year's Big Bang event, which is set to have record numbers of students in attendance. We look forward to helping inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers from our local community."

Jonathan Sharrock, Chief Executive of the Coast to Capital Local Enterprise Partnership, said: "It is great to have the opportunity to sponsor such an inspiring event that encourages a vast number of young people to discover and enjoy science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM). This event also addresses a key skills gap in our region which is vital to ensure that our businesses can recruit and develop the talented workforce of the future."

 

As well as Gatwick, CGG, Thales, GSK, Edwards, Photek and Edwards will be on hand to demonstrate the STEM-related aspects of their industry and showcase the potential career paths open to young people.

 

Education providers like the Universities of Chichester, Brighton and Reading, and colleges including Northbrook, Plumpton and Central Sussex College will be there, alongside professional bodies such as the Institution of Mechanical Engineers.

 

In addition, young people will demonstrate projects they have entered in the Big Bang UK Young Scientists and Engineers Competition, with the best entries going on to represent the region in next year's national finals.

 

The Big Bang Fair South East is organised by STEM Sussex, the outreach department of the University of Brighton. Headline sponsor is Gatwick Airport.

 

  • For further information about the 2017 Big Bang Fair South East, and other STEM outreach opportunities contact STEM Sussex, tel. 01273 641874 or email stemsussex@brighton.ac.uk

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