15/08/2026
🙏🙏🙏🙏
A Glasgow schoolgirl who wanted to help people facing freezing nights on the city’s streets has turned a simple idea into an invention making a real difference.
Rebecca Young was just 11 when she designed a solar-powered heated blanket built into a waterproof backpack, after thinking about how difficult it must be for people sleeping rough to stay warm.
Her idea was simple but ingenious. Solar panels charge a battery during daylight hours, with the stored energy then used to power heating in the blanket when temperatures fall.
Rebecca’s design went on to beat more than 70,000 entries in the UK-wide Primary Engineer competition, earning her national recognition for combining engineering with compassion.
Her school project attracted the attention of engineering company Thales, whose team in Glasgow helped transform the young inventor’s idea into a working prototype.
The blanket was designed to be practical as well as warm. The solar panel allows it to charge without needing a conventional power supply, while temperature controls help manage the battery and heating.
The project then moved from the classroom to the streets, with prototypes supplied to Homeless Project Scotland to help people experiencing homelessness.
Thales later announced plans to provide 150 solar-powered heated blankets to homelessness charities across the Glasgow area, taking Rebecca’s original idea to an even wider audience.
Her achievement has also earned recognition on the international stage.
In 2025, Rebecca was named one of TIME magazine’s inaugural Girls of the Year, joining a group of young girls from around the world recognised for making a positive impact.
Her invention has continued to develop, with efforts now under way to expand production and create a model where blankets can be donated to people experiencing homelessness.
What began as an 11-year-old’s attempt to solve a problem she could see around her has become a powerful example of how young people can turn kindness, imagination and engineering into real-world change.
Rebecca’s story is not simply about a clever invention — it is about looking at someone else’s hardship and asking: “What can I do to help?”🧠🏴
