£30k transport fund to support STEM visits

The renewable energy company wants to help young people develop their science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) skills. The money will be used for visits to its power station in Yorkshire as well as its sites in Scotland - Cruachan and hydro stations. 

Rockfield Primary School and Rockfield Gaelic Primary Schools, two separate schools which share the same campus in Oban, were among the first schools to use the fund, taking a total of 94 schoolchildren to Cruachan.

During the visit the pupils learned about the construction of the Hollow Mountain power station and the vital role pumped hydro storage sites play in generating renewable power and supporting energy security.

Elaine Campbell, deputy head teacher at Rockfield Primary School and Rockfield Gaelic Primary School, said: “We were so pleased to have our visits to Cruachan Power Station funded by Drax.

“The children thoroughly enjoyed their trips to the Hollow Mountain and learned so much about the important role the power station plays in generating renewable power when the wind doesn’t blow and the sun doesn’t shine. We hope to take more classes of students to the site during the next school year.”

Drax hopes schools will apply for the funding for the new school year in September.

Shona King, Drax’s head of community, said: “We are delighted to announce the launch of our schools’ transport fund, this will ensure that pupils, including those from less privileged backgrounds, can participate in STEM focused trips to our sites throughout the UK.

“Our visits team plays a key role in educating young people on how we keep the lights on by generating renewable power that is used by millions of homes and businesses.

“We hope that visits to iconic sites, like Drax Power Station and Cruachan, and learning how they operate can inspire the next generation of engineers. We are actively encouraging applications for the fund and would like to see more schools coming to our power stations in the autumn.”