Northampton schoolgirl shortlisted in prestigious national invention competition

Run by Your Life, Lara Pieckza is one of just six entrants with her invention, a ’Collapsible spacer device for asthmatics’, making it to the shortlisting stage from 140 entries nationwide in total.

Your Life is the organisation dedicated to boosting the uptake in post 16 study of Maths and Physics and the competition saw teenagers across the country come up with ideas for new inventions, with the shortlist announced this week, with Lara’s invention turned into a video being promoted on Your Life’s You Tube channel in a live public vote running until next Monday, June 13.

The shortlisted entries in two categories from 11-13 and 14-16 year olds have been turned into videos by Your Life’s digital content team and with 20 percent of votes coming from a public vote and 80 percent from judges’ scores. Entries were judged on their innovation, creativity and practicality.

The two winners are being announced at the Velodrome on June 21 by Your Life’s Patron Beth Tweddle at Your Life’s event during London Tech Week, ‘Fast Track Your Future’.

According to the head of the judging panel and Your Life non-exec director, Dr. Ros Rivaz: “Judging this year’s competition has been tough with the entries of a really high standard. It is so encouraging that top of young people’s concerns are solutions within health and also how to use renewable energy.

“These are two of mankind’s biggest challenges and it is really heartening that these are the areas that are challenging the next generation. Studying Maths and Physics can provide the foundation to enable some of these brilliant creative ideas to become reality.”