UK students set for MIT trip after winning first ever National Innovation Challenge, hosted by Konnie Huq
Three pioneering student teams from across the UK have been crowned winners of the National Innovation Challenge 2025, earning an exclusive opportunity to visit the world-leading Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the USA.
The event was hosted by TV presenter and children’s author, Konnie Huq, at a stunning inaugural awards evening, at the historic Institute of Engineering & Technology (IET) in London. The celebration brought together students, educators, industry leaders, and special guests to celebrate innovation in sustainability.
Organised by Harrow, Richmond and Uxbridge Colleges (HRUC) in collaboration with the MIT Industrial Liaison Program (ILP), the competition challenged students to develop practical solutions to real-world sustainability issues.
The 2025 National Innovation Challenge Winners
- Secondary School Category: The Home-e-stasis project innovated by Robert O'Callaghan, Matthew Rawcliffe and Sean Carlyle from St Bede’s Catholic High School in Lancashire. This project is designed to create a digital twin of your house to simulate retrofit upgrades.
- Colleges and Sixth Forms Category: The TideTidy project innovated by Emily Cheesman from The King John School Sixth Form, Essex. TideTidy is a simple, eco-friendly device designed to capture litter from coastal waters at high tide - starting with Southend’s busy 7-mile coastline.
HRUC Category: Valentina Vicario, Uxbridge College – The Cranial Cooler is a wearable, smart cooling device designed to help migraines, post-surgical swelling, strokes, and neurorehabilitation - all in a lightweight, flexible, and sustainable form.
All three winning teams will now travel to MIT in Boston, USA for an immersive experience exploring innovation, research, and entrepreneurship alongside some of the world’s top scientists and engineers.
Speaking at the event, Konnie Huq, former Blue Peter presenter and advocate for STEM, said: "This competition has empowered young people to think boldly and act creatively. The work these students have done is nothing short of inspiring. This has been a brilliant celebration of innovation, talent, and the power of young minds to shape the future."
Keith Smith, CEO of HRUC, "We created this challenge because we believe talent is everywhere, but opportunity is not. Tonight proves what can happen when we level the playing field and give young people the platform they deserve."
He added: “We aim to build on the success of the National Innovation Challenge in future years, by increasing the scale and reach of the competition.”
The evening featured speeches from leaders including MIT’s Program Director, Steve Whittaker, and former Skills England Chair Richard Pennycook.
Note to editors: Following a merger in 2023, HRUC (Harrow, Richmond and Uxbridge Colleges) has rapidly evolved into a thriving educational hub with three colleges and a strong apprenticeship provision.
The diverse and aspiring college group now serves nearly 15,000 learners across west and south London, offering a range of courses, including A-Levels vocational programmes, T-Levels, and apprenticeships. The College group also proudly supports over 850 learners with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), providing tailored programmes and internships to help them thrive.
Published 12 July 2025.