Teens win award for Lego engineering exhibition

The group received the award at a ceremony at the British Museum

A group of teenagers have won an award for their Lego exhibition about pioneering engineers.

The Young Smeatonians – a group of teenagers who volunteer alongside curators at Leeds Industrial Museum – were named regional winners in the Marsh Award for Volunteers in Museum Learning at a ceremony at the British Museum on 23 September.

The group wrote and researched part of the museum’s Engineery exhibition, designing a Lego trail through the site.

Assistant community curator Aleks Fagelman said it was a “proud moment for everyone involved with the group and the exhibition”.

The group looked at how John Smeaton influenced the design of toys such as Lego

Mr Fagelman said: “Volunteers are immensely important to museums, and the fresh ideas and perspectives of this group of young history enthusiasts has given the exhibition a completely new dimension.

“It’s also the perfect tribute to John Smeaton that his story and legacy are still inspiring innovation in Leeds 300 years after he was born.”

The exhibition celebrated the 300th anniversary of Smeaton’s birth and explores the impact of civil engineering on the environment and colonialism.

The group also looked at how Smeaton and other engineers influenced the designs of modern toys such as Lego and Meccano.

The annual Marsh Awards celebrate museum volunteers. A dozen regional winners each receive a £500 prize, with a national winner receiving an additional £2,000.

The group created a Lego trail for the exhibition

Who was John Smeaton?

Engineer and scientist John Smeaton was born near Whitkirk in Leeds in 1724.

He attended Leeds Grammar School before becoming a lawyer – but he soon realised the career was not for him.

The self-taught engineer, instrument maker and astronomer was dubbed 'the father of civil engineering’ and elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1753.

His work included lighthouses, bridges, canals and a water wheel discovery that contributed to the industrial revolution.

He died at his home in Austhorpe six weeks after a stroke on 28 October 1792.

He is buried at Whitkirk parish church and in 1992 a memorial stone was placed in the floor of Westminster Abbey to mark his legacy.

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