THE Rotary Club of Royal Wootton Bassett & District ran a successful Junior Technology Tournament at Lyneham Primary School, where head teacher John Read welcomed seven Rotarians, led by Richard Everitt. The innovative venture had been demonstrated at a Big Bang fair at the NEC, the UK’s largest celebration of science, technology, engineering and maths for young people.

A Rotary spokesman said "These tournaments are a challenging, enjoyable way for young people to enrich their Science, Technology and Engineering learning. They are designed for 8-11-year-olds. In partnership with The Rochester Bridge Trust, Rotary provides an interesting and fun experience that tests the knowledge, innovation, team working and problem-solving skills of participants. These tournaments were recently granted a CREST Creativity in Science and Technology award by the British Science Association."

Children worked in teams of four to solve an interactive technology task. They were challenged to design, model and build a solution, using various materials supplied by Rotary. These included paper, card, clothes pegs, string, elastic bands and a pre-made wooden base.

The children were challenged to build a scale model of a bridge that would enable a squirrel to cross a pathway in an environmentally-friendly setting. The ingenious team members enjoyed tackling the challenge. One even used a hairdryer to see whether the model squirrel would be blown off the bridge in a gale!

The 34 Year 5 children who took part were fully engaged and enthusiastic throughout the all day event. The Rotary spokesman said "These budding engineers set a high standard in designing and building their bridges.".

Gold, silver and bronze medals were awarded to the top three teams who were congratulated by the chairman of school governors, Anthony Jones, who also presented a Certificate of Participation to each child.

The children had devised some amusing team names, including Cheesy Chickens, Bob the Builders and Billy Bridge Builders.

Head teacher John Read said "The children gained a lot from the day's activities; we would love the Rotary Club to visit us again."

Rotarian Richard Everitt said "It was a very rewarding, friendly competitive day for the children."