Aylesbury student takes the Just Eat top prize at The Big Bang competition

A student from Aylesbury has won The Just Eat Takeaway ‘Sustainability in the Food Industry’ special award in The Big Bang Competition.

Roselyn Kamugisha, from Aylesbury High School, wowed the judges with her project ‘The Perfect Hydroponic Setup’.

She used data from previous crop entries, and found the best growing conditions, for example whether they were getting enough light or water by building a circuit using an Arduino device and sensors.

The Just Eat Takeaway ‘Sustainability in the Food Industry’ Special Award recognises a project that looks to improve sustainability within the food industry.

Roselyn will receive £500 and a framed certificate.

The year 10 student was chosen from over 200 young people from across the country to be finalists of The Big Bang Competition, an annual contest designed to recognise and reward young people's achievements in all areas of science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM), as well as helping them build skills and confidence in project-based work.

Roselyn said: “My inspiration for the project was creating a device that could benefit the day-to-day life of the user.

"I opted for a solution to a relevant issue (the food crisis) and wanted to ensure it wouldn't cost an unreasonable amount of money as it makes it an unrealistic option for many groups.

"Hydroponic farming has revolutionised agriculture and my project showcased how we can make it even more perfect.

"I am very pleased with how it came out and receiving the award is very special to me because of all the work and research I put into it.”

Congratulating Roselyn, Dr Hilary Leevers, chief executive of EngineeringUK, which organises The Big Bang Competition, said: “Roselyn really impressed the judges with her project and congratulations to her on winning this award.

“This year’s Big Bang Competition ran a little differently to normal due to the Covid-19 pandemic. We’re incredibly impressed by the entries we’ve received.

"Young people throughout the past 16 months have shown great resilience and determination – they have had to manage multiple lockdowns, periods of remote learning and restricted access to equipment.

"To see the ambition, passion and enthusiasm for their projects at such a difficult time is truly inspiring.

"It certainly bodes well for the future that the scientists, engineers and inventors of tomorrow are already producing such astute and creative project work – congratulations to all those involved.”

Izzy Clark from Just Eat Takeaway said: “While we were blown away by each and every project shortlisted, we were especially impressed by both Roselyn’s project and her presentation – it was to the point, well-researched and creative.

"She demonstrated a genuine passion for sustainability, and spoke with enthusiasm and confidence.

“Working alone or over video calls during the pandemic, without regular access to school facilities was tricky for all the excellent candidates but they took it in their stride.

"Judging these projects was truly heartening and we want to thank the students for all their hard work.”

For more information and to enter next year’s Competition visit: www.thebigbangfair.co.uk/competition.