8th September 2025 in Events
Are you between the ages of 14 and 18 and fascinated by space? Here’s your chance to turn that curiosity into a real-world experience.
The CubeSat Challenge is an exciting opportunity for young space enthusiasts to design their very own CubeSat satellites. Participants will get an exclusive chance to collaborate with actual NASA astronauts on their designs.
Supported by Dogger Bank Wind Farm, this unique, week-long event runs from October 27-31. You’ll work on cutting-edge space technology and gain hands-on experience that could shape your future.
Ready to launch your future into space? Sign up now to join the challenge at http://uknsp.com and get ready to innovate.
18th August 2025 in Community News
The Building Our Futures programme, a STEM-focused primary careers-learning initiative funded by Dogger Bank Wind Farm, recently marked its third year of remarkable success at a celebratory event held at Redcar & Cleveland College. Since its inception, the programme has supported over ten thousand young people with future career guidance.
This pioneering programme is dedicated to embedding comprehensive careers education into every primary school across Redcar and Cleveland. It achieves this through engaging school workshops and the invaluable support of local employers. Redcar and Cleveland Voluntary Development Agency (RCVDA) delivers the programme, with strategic guidance and support from Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council.
The recent celebration brought together employers, partners, and schools, providing an opportunity for programme leaders to highlight the significant achievements over the past three years, building on a successful pilot programme in 2021-22.
Since its inception, the Building Our Futures team, in collaboration with local employers, has worked with the vast majority of schools in Redcar and Cleveland.
These young people have gained crucial skills and knowledge essential for the future workforce. In total, 64 individual companies, with over 100 dedicated colleagues, have devoted their time to support employer engagement initiatives.
The Building Our Futures initiative has seen remarkable success by building impactful links between local employers and schools, providing young people with realistic career aspirations and tangible pathways to employment. The programme focusses on connecting students with a diverse range of local employers, ensuring that the job opportunities presented are genuinely attainable within their communities.
The programme supports participating schools by delivering six comprehensive modules focused on career learning and essential skills development. Beyond curriculum, the initiative provides strategic and operational support, featuring regular termly Career Champion networks, dedicated staff training and mentoring for Career Champions, engaging STEM events, valuable workplace visits and more.
Amanda Olvanhill, Head of Employability at Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council, said:
“We are very proud of the Building our Futures programme in Redcar and Cleveland, and it is so well embedded with our primary schools, it has been wonderful to see so many children benefitting from the programme each year and learning about the fantastic career opportunities on their doorstep.”
Jacqui Hutchinson, Education, Employment and Skills, Primary Careers Co-ordinator, Building our Futures, said:
“On behalf of Redcar & Cleveland Voluntary Development Agency, it is an honour to deliver the Building our Futures programme to primary and SEND schools in Redcar and Cleveland. Its success is testament to the commitment of our Business network to give back to their communities, our Education networks to finding the best opportunities for their students and to the determination and energy of the young people we are privileged to serve.
“The programme would not have been possible without the investment provided by Dogger Bank Wind Farm and the engagement of its supply chain in our Business network, the strategic support provided by Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council, and the commitment our schools have to enriching the educational experience of their pupils.
As we move into our fourth year of delivery, we are celebrating the achievements of more than ten thousand young people whose aspirations have been meaningfully changed by engaging with Building our Futures, we are working closely with partners to co-design a sustainable future for the programme moving forward.”
Kay Doragh, Community Investment Manager for Dogger Bank Wind Farm, said:
“What really makes a difference to this programme is how local employers and businesses are at the heart of it. This is what makes the career learning so real to the children – and also shows how their ambitions can really happen, with opportunities that are in their area. It’s easy as a business to say that young people don’t engage, it’s not as easy to go and do something about it. This is why we are so impressed by and appreciative of all the employers that make this programme happen.”
Earlier this year, the Building our Futures Programme was recognised at the Northern Echo Business IQ awards, winning the Community Impact Award.
Dogger Bank Wind Farm has been a key supporter of the program, providing not only funding and resources but also demonstrating a strong commitment to employer engagement with schools through its diverse supply chain partnerships.
The project is dedicated to establishing a long-term legacy in the communities where we work and build, promoting STEM education and career opportunities, and creating community growth by investing in people and organisations.
Last year, Dogger Bank Wind Farm announced the next phase of its community fund, committing £25 million to be used in the North and North East of England throughout the operational phase of the wind farm. This phase builds on the £1 million community fund set up during the construction phase of Dogger Bank.
Businesses interested in supporting the next generation can get involved with the Building Our Futures programme by visiting https://www.buildingourfutures.org.uk/contact-us/.
10th July 2025 in Community News
Dogger Bank Wind Farm, set to become the world’s largest offshore wind farm, is recruiting a new apprentice to join its team. This new role underscores the wind farm’s commitment to creating a long-lasting positive impact within its local communities.
While Dogger Bank Wind Farm has already recruited apprentices in electrical engineering, wind operations, and logistics, this new position represents a broadening of opportunities. The successful candidate will play a key role in the team responsible for managing and allocating the wind farm’s substantial £25 million community investment fund. This fund supports various local initiatives, projects, and STEM educational programmes in the regions that host the wind farm’s operations, including South Tyneside, East Riding of Yorkshire, and Redcar and Cleveland.
The apprentice will also work closely with the Communications team, developing digital marketing skills, creating content and supporting events.
“We are incredibly proud of the positive relationships we’ve built with our local communities,” said Kay Doragh, Community Investment Manager at Dogger Bank Wind Farm. “Bringing in a Community Investment Apprentice will strengthen our ability to understand and respond to local needs, ensuring our investments create the greatest possible benefit. It’s an exciting opportunity for someone passionate about making a real difference to join our local team.”
The energy sector is bringing huge changes to the North East through the growth of renewables and building of major infrastructure. It’s really important to us that local people feel the benefit of these projects through a well-managed Community Fund and that they know what is going on through effective communications. We are looking for an Apprentice who is excited to make a difference in their community and wants to be a part of getting people involved in these opportunities. If you are interested in people, community and communication, then we want to hear from you.
The apprenticeship will offer hands-on experience in community engagement, grant management, project evaluation, communications, and stakeholder relations. It provides a unique pathway into the renewable energy sector, demonstrating that careers in this growing industry extend beyond traditional engineering roles to encompass vital social and economic development.
Details on how to apply for this exciting new role can be found here.
2nd May 2025 in Community News
- Scholarships are available for students in South Tyneside, Redcar and Cleveland, and East Riding of Yorkshire pursuing science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) degrees.
- A total of 30 scholarships will be awarded in 2025 to help with further education costs, representing part of a £25 million community investment.
Dogger Bank Wind Farm continues to invest in the future of local communities with the opening of the fifth round of its scholarship program. This initiative provides crucial financial aid to undergraduate students studying in STEM fields from South Tyneside, Redcar and Cleveland, and East Riding of Yorkshire.
This year, a further 30 scholarships will be awarded, enabling students from these areas to pursue their undergraduate degrees with reduced financial strain. These scholarships are a vital component of Dogger Bank’s wider community fund, which is dedicated to supporting young people and communities nearest to our construction and operational bases.
Already, 94 local students have benefited from Dogger Bank’s support. Dogger Bank Wind Farm is proud to have played a role in the academic journeys of students studying a wide range of subjects from physics and medicine, to surveying and aerospace engineering.
Dogger Bank Wind Farm is located more than 130km from the North East coast and will generate enough renewable electricity to power six million UK homes. The project is a joint venture between Equinor, SSE Renewables, and Vårgrønn.
SSE Renewables is leading on the development and construction of Dogger Bank Wind Farm, and Equinor will operate the wind farm on completion for its expected operational life of around 35 years. Vårgrønn brings offshore wind expertise to the project.
The wind farm, being built in three phases named A, B, and C, will connect to the National grid in East Riding of Yorkshire and in Teesside. The operations and maintenance base for the wind farm is in South Shields and will be used throughout its 35-year operational lifespan.
You can apply for the 2025 Dogger Bank scholarship programme here.
Picture caption: Dogger Bank 2024 Scholarship cohort at a celebration event in April 2025
30th April 2025 in Community News
Tuesday 22nd April 2025: Future STEM professionals gather to celebrate achievement and opportunity
The Dogger Bank Wind Farm scholarship celebration day brought together scholarship recipients for a special event recognising their accomplishments and potential. Held at the Dogger Bank Operations base in South Shields, North East England, the celebration offered students a glimpse into the vibrant future ahead as they prepare to pursue studies in fields that will shape the UK’s STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Maths) sectors and beyond.
Recipients of the 2024 Dogger Bank Wind Farm Scholarships joined the event, taking part in tours of the newly constructed operations and maintenance base, interactive sessions, and discussions with leaders and industry professionals.
The celebration included a tour, hosted by North Star, on one of four state-of-the-art service operations vessels (SOVs) supplied to the project to operate the wind farm over 80 miles from shore.
The Dogger Bank scholarship scheme supports students studying higher education STEM subjects from South Tyneside, East Riding of Yorkshire, and Redcar and Cleveland.
“This day isn’t just about celebration, it’s about empowerment,” said Kay Doragh, Community Investment Manager at Dogger Bank Wind Farm. “Each of these scholarship recipients represent the future of STEM sectors in the UK, and today we honour not just their achievements, but the impact they are destined to make.”
Dylan Bingham, Energy Engineering student at Newcastle College and a part-time installation technician, said:
“The Dogger Bank scholarship allowed me to focus a lot more on my studies, taking away a lot of the pressures away financially. I work weekends as an installation technician and the scholarship enabled me to focus on my studies throughout the week. In the future, I would like to work in project management for offshore wind projects.”
The 2025 Celebration Day highlighted the strong partnership between the Dogger Bank Wind Farm project and the communities it supports, and the role of education in driving long-term change.
The 2025 round of Dogger Bank scholarships are now open. To apply, visit https://www.blackbullion.com/funding/dogger-bank-stem-scholarship
Watch the video below to hear from the scholars about how the scholarship has helped them throughout their studies and supported their career aspirations.
