Supporting the Next Generation of Innovators and Designers
Through the Founders Company Brunel Award, the Founders are proud to support the National Saturday Club, a UK-wide partnership model with colleges, universities and cultural institutions that gives 13–16-year-olds the opportunity to explore creative subjects they love, develop new skills, and discover pathways to training/study and rewarding future careers.
The Brunel Award grant contributes to the National Saturday Club’s core programme delivery, helping to extend the national network, provide high-quality resources and support, share best practice, deliver national-scale enrichment events (Visits, Masterclasses & Summer Show), and champion the achievements of young people and their tutors. This vital funding directly enables National Saturday Club to welcome two new Clubs to join the national programme.
Two of this year’s new Clubs particularly reflect the Founders’ values of innovation, craftsmanship, engineering, and applied design:
The London School of Architecture Art&Design Saturday Club introduces young people to spatial design as a collective and sustainable practice. Through workshops in sketching, model making, and public speaking, students explore the built environment while developing creative and transferable skills. The Club culminates in a recognised Higher Project Qualification (equivalent to half a GCSE), strengthening pathways into higher education and careers in design.
The Cernamics Clay Lab Art&Design Saturday Club offers a unique exploration of the intersection between science and art. Based in Dalston, sessions are led by ceramicists and scientists from Imperial College London, guiding students through the geology of clay, the chemistry of sustainable glazes, and the creative process of ceramics-making. This cross-disciplinary approach builds both scientific understanding and artistic confidence.
Together, these new Clubs exemplify the Founders’ enduring commitment to supporting education, innovation, and the creative application of design and engineering — inspiring the next generation to imagine and build a better future.
Author: Hannah Travers, Development Director, National Saturday Club