Fifty-two girls from ten County Durham schools at event in Spennymoor (From The Northern Echo)

Fifty-two girls from ten County Durham schools at event in Spennymoor

9:51am Saturday 6th February 2010 in

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TEAMS of girls have been taking part in a competition aimed at encouraging them to consider a career in engineering.

Fifty-two girls from ten County Durham schools took part in yesterday’s build a hovercraft day at Spennymoor Leisure Centre, in County Durham.

The event, for year 11 students, was organised by Aimhigher County Durham, and the University of Bradford’s engineering department.

Joanne Crowther from the university said it was an ideal way of raising awareness of engineering and science while giving hands-on experience.

She said: “In mixed groups the boys can often hijack the kit and materials and interestingly, the girls’ days are usually a great deal of fun and a lot more noisy than when we run them for a mixed group.”

Each hovercraft was judged for design and function with a drag race across one of the leisure centre’s sports halls but Ferryhill Business and Enterprise College, County Durham, took the overall prize for the best machine.

Team member, Grace Briton, 15, said: “I think it has been worthwhile experience and we’ve learned a lot from it. I think if there had been boys here they would have taken over but at least here we were all in the same boat.

“I think the design of our hovercraft was quite girlie though but we wanted it to match our pilot’s trousers.”