Tag: Partnerships

Together, We Can Create Lasting Change

Posted on by Megan Cliff

Sometimes all it takes is one story, one voice, one role model to spark a young person’s belief in themselves. For girls especially, seeing women succeed at the highest level — in sport, in science, in leadership — can be life-changing.

That’s why athletes like Hannah Mills OBE matter so much. As one of the most successful female Olympic sailors in history, Hannah isn’t just a champion on the water — she’s a champion for change. She speaks out on climate action, mentors young people, and shows that determination and courage can open doors far beyond sport. For a teenage girl wondering if she belongs in STEM, or whether her voice is strong enough to make a difference, Hannah’s example says: yes, you do, and yes, it is.


And the impact goes far beyond Hannah alone. Research shows that 70% of girls feel more confident to follow their dreams when they see women leading the way, yet women currently represent just 28% of the STEM workforce (WISE, 2023) and fewer than 10% of Fortune 500 CEOs(Fortune, 2024). In sport, women still receive less than 10% of media coverage.  That’s why role models — whether they’re athletes, engineers, scientists or entrepreneurs — are so powerful. They help young people, especially young women, picture themselves in spaces they might not otherwise imagine.

At the 1851 Trust, this is at the heart of our mission: to use the power of sport to inspire the next generation in STEM and climate education. We know that when students connect the excitement of high-performance sport with science, engineering and technology, their curiosity grows — and so does their belief in what’s possible for their own futures.

That’s exactly why we created the “Use Your Voice” resource on STEMCrew. Featuring Hannah Mills and other inspirational athletes, it’s designed to help students explore how personal stories, science, and sport can combine to make a real difference in the world. It’s not just about learning — it’s about giving young people the confidence to speak up, take action, and dream bigger.

So the question is: how will you use your influence? Whether you’re a teacher, parent, coach or mentor, every encouragement you give matters. Together, we can help young people find their voice, follow their passions, and shape a better future.

👉 Explore the free “Use Your Voice” resource here: STEMCrew.org

STEM Crew Live Brings Sport-Inspired Learning to Life for Portsmouth Students

Posted on by Megan Cliff

1851 Trust and Howden Join Forces to Empower the Next Generation through SPORT

Portsmouth, UK July 2025

At the historic Royal Naval Dockyard 120 local students aged 11–14 from local secondary schools stepped into the thrilling world of high-performance sport and science this week as STEM Crew Live arrived in Portsmouth. Delivered by the 1851 Trust and supported by Howden, a global insurance intermediary group, , this two-day interactive event harnessed the power of sport to ignite ambition, build confidence, and break down barriers to STEM education and broaden horizons to a range of future careers.

Transforming Perceptions through Sport-Inspired Learning
Founded by Olympic legend and Emirates GBR SailGP Team CEO Sir Ben Ainslie, the 1851 Trust uses sport inspired learning to help young people see themselves in the world of science, innovation, and sustainability. STEM Crew Live goes beyond the textbook, giving students access to athletes, and hands-on activities that mirror real-world challenges, it is designed to make STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) subjects real, relatable, and inspiring unlocking potential and building confidence in the young people we meet.

At STEM Crew Live Portsmouth young people explored the big question of the day, “How do we mitigate against risk”.  Through four hands on sessions across the two days, from boat and sail design where students competed for the fastest design of the day, to wind tunnel experiments and a careers speed networking session with professionals across sailing, maritime and insurance, students explored how risk is managed both in high performance sport and the insurance world. With support from a team of Howden professionals alongside SailGP athletes like Hannah Mills and Ben Cornish students discovered the parallels between sport, business, and science.

The young people were given an exclusive behind the scenes tour of the British team’s SailGP tech base, seeing the Emirates GBR F50 boat up close, meeting team members and finding out how they take their team off grid at all events through a solar and wind turbine installation created by Low Carbon.  

“There’s a perception around some jobs and industries that you need certain qualifications or specific skillsets. What we hope young people take away from events like these is the breadth of career paths and opportunities in industries like insurance. There’s something for everyone – if you’ve got the right passion and attitude, there are no limits to what you can achieve.

Being able to bring this to life through the high-quality immersive experience the 1851 Trust and Emirates GBR created for the young people today was really special. The wide-eyed smiles and unwavering engagement throughout the day told me that this will stick in their minds for a very long time.” – Hayley Langston, Group Head of Social Impact, Howden

“All young people deserve access to powerful, future-shaping experiences, especially those from communities that are historically underserved or underrepresented.  By connecting young people with real-life role models we spark ambition, build confidence, and show them that they belong in these spaces,” Jo Grindley CEO 1851 Trust. 

Portsmouth has one of the highest rates of child poverty in the South of England. STEM Crew Live directly targets schools with high pupil premium and free school meal rates to ensure that those who stand to gain the most have access to this transformative experience.  With over 40% of UK secondary schools already using the 1851 Trust’s free digital STEM Crew resources, this STEM Crew Live is part of a national mission to close opportunity gaps, build essential life skills, and inspire futures in science, green skills, and maritime innovation.

Calling all event professionals

Posted on by Megan Cliff

We’re looking for an Event Operations Executive to join our team on a 6-month fixed term contract.

Role: Event Operations Assistant  
Reporting to: Programme manager
Location: Flexible with regular travel to Portsmouth and event locations 
Salary: £25,000 per annum 
Annual leave:  25 days pro rata  
Hours: 6 months fixed, Full time 

Background 
The 1851 Trust is a game-changing specialist education charity working to raise science capital across society through inspirational context-based learning. We have already taken our education programmes www.stemcrew.org into half of secondary schools and created unique learning experiences for thousands of young people in some of the most deprived area of the UK.  Our recent success and high-profile supporters have built up exciting new opportunities. This is a fantastic role to help us deliver content to new communities of young people and educators across the UK and globally as we continue our STEM Crew work and grow our new programme focused on supporting positive action.  

We are a small team with a committed Board of Trustees passionate about working with young people and increasing opportunities for them in the future. We are seeking someone with energy, the ability to flourish in dynamic working environment and a commitment to excellence. In return, we offer you exciting opportunities for personal development and the support of colleagues committed to delivering outstanding learning experiences for young people. 

Role purpose 
We are looking for an enthusiastic and creative operations assistant to deliver our new programme and face to face activities at roadshows across the UK delivering outstanding education opportunities.  

You will have responsibility for planning and delivery of workshops and sessions at events, building strong relationships with our partner organisations and educator communities throughout the roadshows. You will evaluate the benefits and impact of the events and report to the Programme Manager.  

Key responsibilities 

  • Develop and manage event delivery at a variety of locations traveling to each venue as part of the delivery team.  
  • Support with, or take the lead with delivering activities to young people at events.  
  • Effective prioritisation skills, deadline-driven, excellent organisation and planning skills. 
  • Being a confident communicator with young people and educators.  
  • Sourcing and collaborating with delivery partners for events.  
  • Help with the planning and delivery of evaluation for engagements.  
  • Ensure excellent participation with responding to the changing needs of the communities we work with. 
  • Updating event invites and managing the events inbox.  
  • Working with colleagues to create interesting ways to engage participants and share social stories from activities to demonstrate impact and outcomes for young people. 
  • Organisation of other internal and external meetings including booking meeting rooms, venues, arranging food and accommodation and taking minutes as required.  
  • Supporting the Programme Manager with the administration of project delivery.  
  • Compiling data and liaising with schools and partner organisations.  
  • Other duties as reasonably required by the line manager.  

What we need 

  • Proactive and confident in using own initiative and prioritising workloads. 
  • Experience or understanding of schools, education, sports and/or outdoor activities desirable.  
  • Awareness and understanding of GDPR and working with sensitive information. 
  • Able to apply creative thinking and problem-solving. 
  • Strong networking skills.  
  • Good IT, particularly database, skills. 
  • Demonstrable experience within a similar role. 
  • Strong written and verbal communication and excellent attention to detail. 

We are committed to safer recruitment practices to protect our service users; therefore, all applicants are expected to have an understanding of and commitment to safeguarding best-practice. 

How to apply 
Please send a CV and covering letter, which explains what you will bring to this exciting new role, to education@1851trust.org.uk. Applications close at 5pm  on Friday 1st April 2022.  

Interviews for short-listed candidates will be arranged as soon as applications are received, and the role may be offered to a successful candidate before the deadline date.