Primary pupil’s accessible playground invention awarded Silver Medal in London
Malachy, a Year 9 pupil at St Oliver Plunkett Primary School in Belfast, has recently achieved a significant feat by winning a Silver medal and The Commendation Award at the Primary Engineer MacRobert Medal for his innovative invention which was turned into a prototype and aims at providing equal play opportunities for all children.
Malachy’s invention, ‘I can swing’, is an inclusive playground swing tailored for children with reduced mobility or wheelchair users. Motivated by the desire to provide equal play opportunities for all children, Malachy identified a significant gap in accessible playground equipment. His design aimed to create a swing that could be enjoyed by children of varying abilities, fostering inclusivity and shared play experiences
It was initially submitted to the “If you were an engineer, what would you do?” annual STEM competition, ran by Primary Engineer, in 2024. UK School pupils from the ages of 3-19 are tasked with interviewing an engineer, before being asked to identify a problem in the world around them and coming up with a creative, engineered solution to that problem. All entries are read and graded by professional engineers, with every single pupil who takes part receiving a named and graded certificate. The competition then culminates in exciting regional public exhibitions and award ceremonies, where shortlisted designs are displayed, and the winners and highly commended are invited on stage to receive their awards.
The Belfast team from Thales UK, one of Primary Engineer’s national partners, selected Malachy’s idea to develop into a working prototype during the 2024–2025 academic year. The Thales ProtoTeam, comprising six members from the Early Careers program, collaborated with Malachy to bring the concept to life. The team utilized their expertise in areas such as software design, 3D printing, CAD modeling, and project planning to transform Malachy’s vision into a tangible product. The finished prototype was unveiled at Primary Engineer Northern Ireland regional award ceremony on 25th June 2025, then submitted to the Primary Engineer MacRobert Medal Award.
The Primary Engineer MacRobert Medal, which is now in its fourth year, acts as the forerunner to the illustrious MacRobert Award, the leading prize for engineering innovation in the UK. The Primary Engineer MacRobert Medal is designed to celebrate the achievements of the school pupils, students and young engineers who have all worked together to create innovative and world-changing prototypes based on a school pupil’s engineering idea.
Malachy, his family and teachers from St Oliver Plunkett Primary School attended the official award ceremony for The Primary Engineer MacRobert Medal ceremony at the prestigious Drapers’ Hall in London on Monday 17th November 2025. The Primary Engineer MacRobert Medal Award Ceremony is a collaboration between Primary Engineer and The MacRobert Trust, with support from Weir and Christopher Ward.
When asked why he came up with this idea, Malachy simply said, ”There aren’t enough things for people who need it most. They need to have the same opportunities. An all-inclusive electric swing can help this. Not just for those with disabilities but maybe some parents have disabilities and will never have chance to push their child on a swing. I couldn’t wait to finally see my idea come to life. I really hope I see them in parks everywhere and also schools for children with SEN. It would be great if people had the chance to buy one for their own house if they wanted to.”
Congratulations to all the medalists, and you can find a full list of them here: Primary Engineer Award School Pupils and Engineers in London – Primary Engineer
Read more about this prototype here https://www.primaryengineer.com/tag/thalesbpt25/