Dogger Bank Wind Farm welcomes teenage competition winner at Teesport
A 16-year-old schoolgirl from Redcar got the chance to sample life on an offshore construction support vessel, after winning a competition with Dogger Bank Wind Farm.
KTS Academy pupil, Samantha Donoghue, was welcomed on board the Skywalker vessel by its multi-national crew, and was given a VIP tour of its state-of-the-art facilities.
Samantha was invited to visit the vessel after winning the Dogger Bank Wind Farm World Book Day competition earlier this year. The 500-word challenge to create an energy-themed superhero story, was launched in March.
The competition was part of the Dogger Bank Wind Farm-funded Building our Futures programme, which aims to embed STEM careers education into every primary school in Redcar and Cleveland, through engaging workshops supported by local employers.
The programme is delivered by Redcar and Cleveland Voluntary Development Agency (RCVDA) with strategic support and guidance from Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council.
A panel of judges selected Samantha’s Ice Man poem as the winning entry, and the KTS pupil was treated to a behind-the-scenes tour of a vessel supporting the construction of the world’s largest offshore windfarm.
As part of her tour, Samantha was invited by the ship’s captain to visit the vessel’s bridge and sit in his seat, before enjoying a lunch with some of the crew in the on-board restaurant.
Samantha said:
“I enjoyed myself and liked learning about the different type of jobs on the Skywalker. It was exciting and the staff were helpful and funny.
“It was interesting to learn about career opportunities on the Skywalker for young people in our area. The staff were really kind and welcoming, it was a fantastic day out for us.”
Building Our Futures programme manager, Jacqui Hutchinson of the Redcar and Cleveland Voluntary Development Agency, said:
“I was thrilled with the number of entries to our first Building our Futures Creative Writing competition, and Sammi’s story of Iceman and the penguins, captured all the judges’ hearts whilst fulfilling the brief exactly.
“The prize of a visit to the Skywalker highlights the importance of real employer engagements and workplace visits for all young people, and is at the heart of Building our Futures”
Sam Smith, class teacher at KTS Academy, said:
“Samantha has really enjoyed participating in the Building our Futures programme within school and learning about where we get different types of energy from and how we use it.
“Samantha created her Iceman superhero story after learning about how some types of energy impact the environment and animal habitats. We are really proud that Samantha’s story has been awarded first prize!”
Rachel Lawrence, Community Engagement Manager for Dogger Bank Wind Farm, said:
“It was a real privilege to welcome Samantha onto our fantastic Skywalker vessel at Teesport, and introduce her to the people behind the construction of the world’s largest offshore wind farm.
“Samantha treated us to a fantastic recital of her Ice Man poem and had some interesting questions for the team about life on board the Skywalker.
“Huge congratulations to Samantha for being selected as our competition winner. We can’t wait to see where her writing takes her next.”
Set to be the world’s largest offshore wind farm once complete, Dogger Bank is situated over 130km from the Yorkshire coast and will produce enough renewable energy to supply electricity to six million homes in the UK annually. The wind farm is a joint venture between SSE Renewables, Equinor, and Vårgrønn.
The project’s IWS Skywalker vessel is one of a fleet of state-of-the-art construction support vessels in operation in the North Sea. The boat returns to ports in the Tees Valley on a fortnightly basis for crew change, before returning to the field.
The Norwegian vessel can accommodate more than 100 passengers and has a sauna, a gym and games room, as well as onboard office and conference facilities.
The onboard team is made up of representatives from Dogger Bank Wind Farm and a large number of its supply chain companies. The vessel is currently supporting the commissioning of offshore assets.