Designed for Life

• Designed for Life - In conversation with Julie Brierley (Head of Learning and Engagement, RAF Museum, Midlands).

  You can cover so much learning within the confines of the classroom, but with design & technology education, whether at the primary or secondary level, a carefully planned educational visit can add so much.At the Design & Technology Association, we are always seeking potential visits to recommend to teachers and their students. With this in mind, we are delighted to talk with Julie Brierley, Head of Learning and Engagement at the excellent RAF Museum, Midlands. In this podcast, Julie takes us back to a mixed experience at school. Loving her primary school experience, and then finding secondary school to be less than welcoming to a shy, introverted student. Design and Technology education proved to be a sanctuary within this environment, and being one of the few female students was not a barrier to her loving the subject.Set on a career in nursing, she surprised everyone (parents included) by leaving school as soon as she could and joining the RAF as an apprentice flight engineer. Here she found her 'tribe' and was immediately at home, but as we will hear in the podcast, this was before equality of opportunity reached the forces. As a woman, there were several challenges to overcome.Julie is now Head of Learning and Engagement at RAF Museum Midlands, a perfect setting to study all things D&T, maths, science and across most of the curriculum. This is a tale of perseverance, about finding what you love, sticking with it, and finding a working role that plays to your strengths and brings you fulfilment and joy! I loved the conversation, and I think you will too.Thanks to Arachne.digital for their continued support, which enables us to bring these conversations to you. Please reach out to request a consultation to secure your school's cyber presence by emailing [email protected] or visiting arachne.digitalhttps://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/midlands/schools-and-colleges/https://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/midlands/schools-and-colleges/learning-events/

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• Designed for Life - Reset Short Update

  We have been offline for a short while whilst we evaluate, reconsider where the podcast is heading and reset. This is the first of what will be a regular series of brief updates between the main podcasts. In these, we aim to tell you what we are up to at the Design & Technology Association, highlight any primary areas of work you might not be aware of, discuss what's going on with the subject, and occasionally bring in guests to help inform the conversation.These pods will never be more than 12 minutes in length and will be released between the main Designed for Life podcasts...but only when there is something relevant to say!Let us know what you think.

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• Designed for Life - New Blades 2025

  New Blades is an annual model-making exhibition and recruitment fair held in London each year, showcasing the work of graduating students from various UK universities and colleges. It's a key event for connecting emerging talent in the model-making industry with employers and professionals. The event is organized by 4D Modelshop, a major supplier to British model makers. This is the first time the Design & Technology Association has attended this exhibition but it certainly won’t be the last. In this podcast we talk with students, university lecturers and industry professionals as we seek to follow each student interviewed on their journey from inspiration, through school and university, to a career in architecture, film and other exciting related industries. This podcast was recorded in a crowded exhibition on mobile recording equipment, I believe it successfully captures the excitement and bustle of a crowded centre, but the sound may not be on a par with our usual standard; I hope you can appreciate why.We reference many of the student models on show in our conversations, these can be seen in their full glory through this link:https://www.designtechnology.org.uk/news/new-blades-2025-celebrates-the-next-generation-of-modelmakers/Huge thanks to Arachne.digital your cyber threat intelligence platform for their support that makes these podcasts possible. Contact them for a free appraisal of your school’s cyber security. This is a very different venture for Designed for Life.  It’s one we are keen to replicate should you, the listener feel it appropriate. We would really appreciate your feedback, positive or otherwise to [email protected]

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• Designed for Life - In conversation with Helen Cuthill (CEO Smallpeice Trust)

  The Smallpeice Trust is a charity dedicated to inspiring young people to explore careers in science and engineering. It was founded in 1966 by the British engineer and entrepreneur Dr. Cosby Smallpeice (who invented the Smallpeice Lathe). The trust exists to help young people turn their passion and ideas into reality.In 1991, a group of committed headteachers came together, motivated by the conviction that Design & Technology was not receiving the profile it deserved as an incubator for future innovators, engineers, and technical designers (how I wish times had changed), and the Arkwright Engineering Scholarships began. In 2001, the Arkwright Engineering Scholarships programme was transferred to the Smallpeice Trust, with the two organisations officially merging on 4 January 2018.Helen Cuthill assumed the role of CEO of the Smallpeice Trust in November 2023. Helen arrived with a diverse background of experiences and an excellent track record in the not-for-profit sector. She has exceptional strategic capabilities, proven operational effectiveness, and substantial experience within the charity sector. She has an innovative and community-driven work ethic, blending purpose with enjoyment and a sense of fun.In this podcast, we follow Helen’s somewhat unorthodox route to CEO at Smallpeice, discuss the impact that dyslexia has had on her schooling and career to date; her email footer reads as below:I’m #MadeByDyslexia – expect BIG thinking and SMALL typos. It helps me to send and receive emails that use short paragraphs and highlighted requests.We discuss how she is working to make the work of the Smallpeice Trust, specifically the Arkwright Scholarships, more inclusive to all by bringing opportunities to young people rather than waiting for them to come to Smallpeice.This is a very full conversation with a sector leader who is 100% authentic and is willing to be vulnerable as she and the organisation seek to progress. I loved the conversation, and I believe you will too. So, sit back, listen wherever you have the time and with an open mind, and enjoy‘'Designed for Life’' in conversation with Smallpeice Trust CEO Helen Cuthill.https://www.smallpeicetrust.org.uk/British Dyslexia Association - https://www.bdadyslexia.org.uk/dyslexia/about-dyslexia/what-is-dyslexia

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• Designed for Life - In conversation with STEM Racing's Andrew Denford

  Many people familiar with this podcast will recognise the name 'F1 in Schools', a design, teamwork and engineering challenge that has existed in schools for over two decades. Some of you will have competed in either regional or, if you are fortunate enough, national finals. Others...I want to say the elite few, as getting there is some achievement, will have made it to the world finals, held to coincide with an F1 race somewhere in the world and closely aligned to the FIA. I would suggest very few of you know just how this design and engineering challenge came about, how it has grown and constantly exceeded expectations and just who is the founder, Andrew Denford and what drives him to keep pushing this challenge to greater heights. Finally, why has such a seemingly brilliantly branded initiative recently changed its name and branding from 'F1 in Schools' to 'STEM Racing'? This episode will bring the answer to all these queries, and more as we bring Andrew Denford, Chief Executive Officer of Denford Ltd., and Founder of Stem Racing back to school and then follow his journey into engineering, taking over the family business at a relatively early age, and how he got the idea that racing a small but carefully precision engineered CO2 powered car down a twenty metre track at speed may be something that schools and colleges might buy into. It's a great story, filled with a few twists and tales that I know you'll enjoy. So sit back and enjoy, Designed for Life - In conversation with Denford CEO and Founder of STEM Racing, Andrew Denford. https://www.stemracing.com/This podcast is brought to you with the assistance of our sponsors https://www.arachne.digital/ Your cyber threat intelligence platform for empowered protection. 

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