Innovative Inventors

Hounslow Highways has called on the talents of pupils at The Smallberry Green Primary School, Isleworth to come up with innovative ideas to help make the borough cleaner.

Delivered in partnership with Enabling Enterprise, around 20 children from Year 6 donned their thinking caps to enhance an existing service that Hounslow Highways delivers.

Working in teams, the children presented their ideas in a makeshift marketplace setting. Judges included schoolteachers and Hounslow Highways staff.

To inspire ideas, students were given an interactive presentation about Hounslow Highways by service director Rob Gillespie and had a tour of Hounslow Highways HQ.

The winning team developed and marketed a street bin fitted with an internal waste compactor.

Development manager for Enabling Enterprise, Mike Zatyka, said: “The students have been working on enterprise projects back at school and visits like this are a fantastic opportunity to bring their learning to life, develop confidence and broaden aspirations for the future.”

Rob Gillespie said: “Innovative thinking and associated investment in local communities are part of Hounslow Highways’ key priorities.

“The work with Enabling Enterprise allows us to use collaborative ideas and technological improvements to help improve students’ creative thinking skills. With more school visits planned over the next six months, we aim to use these sessions to positively contribute to the development of young people in the borough.”

Enabling Enterprise is an award-winning not-for-profit social enterprise, set up by a team of teachers in 2009. Their mission is to equip young people with the skills, experiences and aspirations they need to succeed in life. For more information, visit http://enablingenterprise.org/.