About Sustainable Southwark
Sustainable Southwark was a year-long programme led by Motivez that connected engineers with over 350 underserved young people aged 14–17 from five disadvantaged schools in Southwark. The aim was to help students explore how engineering can be used to tackle local sustainability issues, while making the sector feel more accessible and relevant to their lives.
The programme involved a mix of engaging activities including hackathons, company visits, fireside chats, and mentoring. These gave students the chance to learn from relatable engineers working in industries like fashion and transport, and to develop their own ideas for tackling problems such as air pollution in their community. The students then pitched their solutions to local councillors and partners using a digital toolkit developed by Motivez.
A key part of the programme was the involvement of young engineers from a range of backgrounds who supported the students throughout. As well as sharing their experiences and advice, the engineers developed their own leadership and communication skills, and gained a better understanding of the perspectives and challenges faced by young people from underrepresented communities.
Key outcomes
Young people came away from the programme with improved confidence, employability skills, motivation to pursue STEM in higher education, and a clearer sense of how they could use engineering to make a difference. Many also built new networks and gained a stronger sense of belonging in the engineering space.
One of the main things we learned was that long-term, relationship-based engagement makes a far bigger impact than one-off sessions. Bringing in engineers who reflect the backgrounds of the young people was also key, as was grounding the work in local priorities. Sustainable Southwark showed the value of working closely with communities to create more inclusive and meaningful pathways into engineering.
