Supporting the homeless: how Thales graduates and apprentices helped propel a Glasgow student onto TIME 'Girls of the Year' list
From a sketch on a paper to the cover of one of the world's most iconic magazines – this is the journey taken by a 12-year old student in Scotland, whose innovative solar-powered blanket concept was turned into a lifesaving reality thanks to a group of Thales graduates and apprentices.
The story began in 2024 when Glasgow student Rebecca Young took part in the Primary Engineer competition that asks students aged 3-19 from across the UK, “If you were an engineer, what would you do?” Rebecca’s idea - a lightweight, solar-powered heated blanket designed to help homeless people stay warm – came from witnessing the growing homeless population across her home city.
As a long-standing partner and national sponsor of Primary Engineer, Thales produces prototypes of leading designs from the competition, and Rebecca’s idea was one of five designs brought to life by teams of Thales graduates and apprentices from across the UK.
The heated blanket, complete with a small solar panel and rechargeable battery roughly the size of a smartphone, folds into a backpack for easy portability. The project showcased the collaborative creativity and determination of our graduates and apprentices, who worked closely with Rebecca to refine the design, ensuring safety, efficiency, and user-friendliness.
This partnership led to a silver medal at the prestigious Primary Engineer MacRobert Awards, standing out amongst more than 75,000 entries—a testament to the effectiveness of combining fresh ideas with engineering expertise. Primary Engineer were so impressed with the prototype that the team has also been invited to showcase the solar blanket at this year's awards ceremony in November.
This success did not go unnoticed. In August, Rebecca was named one of TIME Magazine’s inaugural Girls of the Year - an honour that highlights 10 girls worldwide for their outstanding contributions to their communities.
Beyond the awards, Thales also proudly manufactured and donated 150 solar-powered blankets to six Glasgow-area charities. The first 35 blankets have already brought warmth and comfort to temporary accommodation shelters through Homeless Project Scotland, reflecting the real-world impact of this innovative collaboration.
Being part of this project has been really inspiring. It’s amazing to see an idea designed to help others turn into something tangible that will make a real difference. As a woman early in my career, it’s especially meaningful to support a young girl’s innovation and see her gain recognition on such a big stage. I’d definitely recommend getting involved with Primary Engineer to anyone who wants to make a positive impact.
Olivia Chard
Systems Engineer, OME UK
Thales and Primary Engineer
Thales is a long-standing partner and national sponsor of Primary Engineer, helping to launch and promote the competition across the UK, which reached a record-breaking 75,876 entries in 2024. In addition to providing STEM workshops, volunteers, and support during grading days for design submissions, Thales produces prototypes of leading designs from the Primary Engineer competition.
