Scottish girl named Time magazine’s Girl of the Year for engineering invention, ‘Solar Powered Heated Blanket’ to help the homeless
Congratulations to Rebecca for being recognised in August 2025 as one of TIME magazine’s Girls of the Year. The list, curated by TIME’s award-winning editorial team, has been made possible by the LEGO Group and recognising 10 young leaders who are inspiring communities around the world.
It all started with a simple question and a big heart. Back in the 2022/2023 academic year, a Scottish student named Rebecca, then in Primary 7 at Kelvinside Academy, saw a problem in her community – people experiencing homelessness struggling to stay warm on cold nights. Her idea was simple yet impactful: a heated blanket powered by solar panels, ensuring that users who lack access to mains electricity could still stay warm using a sustainable power source. The blanket uses fold up solar panels to charge during the day so that it can heat up and keep people warm at night.
She submitted her engineering idea to Primary Engineer’s annual UK STEM competition which asks pupils aged 3 –19 the question “If you were an engineer, what would you do?” and was recognised as one of the winners in her year group at the Scotland West award ceremony, one of 25 regional UK events, in 2023.
Rebecca’s concept wasn’t just clever; it was deeply compassionate, and it caught the attention of Thales UK, one of Primary Engineer’s national partners, who in the 2023/2024 academic year were on a mission to create 6 prototypes across 5 of their UK sites. The group of graduates and apprentices in the Thales Glasgow Prototeam saw the potential to make a real difference and selected the Solar Powered Heated Blanket to be built.
Each year Industry and University partners of Primary Engineer choose a pupil’s idea to turn from paper to a reality, working closely with the pupil and revealing the finished prototype a year later at the regional awards ceremony.
The blanket is designed to fold away into a backpack, making it easy to carry. It is powered by a small solar panel and battery pack, each about the size of a smartphone, ensuring minimal weight is added for the user. Careful consideration was taken into account by the prototype design team at Thales, who were guided by feedback from Rebecca through various stages of the prototype production process. The team wanted to ensure that the blanket has different levels of heat settings, and that the safety of the user was at the forefront.
The finished prototype was officially unveiled on 24th May 2024 at the Scotland West regional award ceremony hosted at The University of Glasgow.
Rebecca was thrilled to see her vision take shape, and the Solar Powered Heated Blanket not only offers comfort and warmth but also embodies the spirit of innovation and compassion, showing how engineering can be used to address real-world problems.
The success of the blanket didn’t stop there. It was submitted to the prestigious Primary Engineer® MacRobert Medal shortly after the unveiling in the summer of 2024. The event, designed to celebrate the people who have turned the ideas of school pupils into reality, celebrated it’s third year in 2024, with the Official Award Ceremony being held on Tuesday 19th November 2024 at Barony Hall in Glasgow.
24 prototypes were built, 17 were shortlisted and 10 were awarded Gold, Silver and Bronze medals were handed out at the award ceremony to celebrate their amazing achievements. The Solar Powered Heated Blanket Prototype took home the ‘Silver Medal’ and also the ‘Commendation Medal’, the first of its kind, awarded via a public vote. The idea captured imaginations and showcased the real-world potential of young innovators’ ideas. The Primary Engineer® MacRobert Medal was created in partnership with The MacRobert Trust, with ongoing support from Weir Group, and the judging panel consists of leading figures from industry.
But the best part of the story is the happy ending that is still unfolding. In June 2025, Thales in the UK announced they were supplying and donating 150 solar-powered heated blankets to help support six homeless charities in the Glasgow region. The first 35 blankets have already been donated to Homeless Project Scotland, where they are being used to support 31 temporary accommodation beds in Glasgow.
“We are incredibly proud to have been able to work with Rebecca and Primary Engineer to bring her design to life resulting in the donation of 150 blankets to help those who need it most. These donations serve a greater purpose in supporting those in need and highlight the power of design to make a positive impact in our community.” Stephen McCann, Managing Director of Thales OME, Glasgow.
“It’s such a pleasure to witness the remarkable journey of an innovative idea brought to life. Initiated by Rebecca as part of the ‘If You Were an Engineer, What Would You Do?’ competition, this project has seen incredible collaboration in the hands of Thales Early Careers engineers that culminated in the handover of solar powered heated blankets to Colin from Homeless Project Scotland. Hearing about the individuals who will benefit from this initiative truly highlights the transformative power and beauty of engineering at its finest.” Susan Scurlock MBE, CEO, Primary Engineer.
In August 2025, TIME reveals its first-ever Girls of the Year list, recognising 10 young leaders who are inspiring communities around the world. The list, curated by TIME’s award-winning editorial team, has been made possible by the LEGO Group and aims to celebrate and empower girls. It was amazing to see Rebecca honoured and recognised as one of these extraordinary girls.
Word of this feel-good impactful story spread across cities and even countries with many news outlets and social media accounts praising the idea. Rebecca’s story is a shining example of how a great idea, fuelled by empathy, can turn into a real-world solution that changes lives for the better.
Contacts:
Steph.Shencoe@Primaryengineer.com (Media Relations and Communication Manager at Primary Engineer)
adrian.rondel@uk.thalesgroup.com (Senior Media and Public Affairs at Thales UK)
Jenni.WATT@uk.thalesgroup.com (External Communications at Thales UK)