Lightyear Foundation

Only 4 weeks to go until the Lightyear Foundation welcomes you to Manchester for our next SEND in STEM event! ( 22nd April 2026, 2-5pm, Manchester Deaf Centre, Teddy Webb Hall, M13 9GH) We can't wait to hear from disabled and neurodivergent young people, and learn about co-production projects within the world of STEM and beyond. We'll have talks, workshops, and plenty of tea and coffee - sign up now to get all of the details (link in bio ⬆️) Meet our speakers: Chloe & Harrison are founder members of the Lightyear Youth Group, who will share their experiences of STEM as disabled and neurodivergent young people. Charlotte Robey-Turner is the Co-Production and Youth Engagement Manager at Buttle, a charity which provides grants to children in poverty and crisis. Charlotte leads Buttle's youth participation work and facilitates Buttle's Youth Advisory Panel. David Jones is the Centre for Life’s Community Liaison Manager. He works closely with a wide range of disabled communities, seeking to improve accessibility for all. Centre for Life is an award-winning, family-friendly science museum based in Newcastle. Nichola Peaker and Lauren McNaughton are Life’s Schools and Communities Leads, developing and delivering a wide range of educational STEM activities for a variety of audiences. They run a science club for young people from the local visually impaired additionally resourced provision (VIARP), and a science club for children from the local hearing impaired additionally resourced provision (HIARP) . Faith Yianni (she/her) is the Community Partnerships Producer at the Science and Industry Museum. Faith's favourite projects are led by young people because they are fun, fiery, authentic, and full of lols. For Manchester Science Festival 2024 she had the pleasure of working with artists at Pinc College to co-produce Embracing Your Colours, an interactive exhibition exploring the link between colour and emotion #SENDinSTEM #sendinstemnetwork

Lightyear Foundation is a unique UK charity transforming access to STEM for deaf, disabled and neurodivergent children and young people. We design and deliver hands-on, inclusive STEM experiences that spark curiosity, build confidence and open pathways into science, technology, engineering and maths. From accessible workshops to partnerships with leading STEM organisations, we ensure no child is overlooked. But we cannot do this alone. Your donation helps us reach more young people across the UK with inspiring, practical STEM opportunities that can shape their futures. Donate today via our website (Link in bio ⬆️)

On 30th May, students from Melland School visited University of Salford for a hands-on Biomedicine Work Inspiration Trip, introducing them to university life and the world of biomedical science. The day included a tour of the laboratories and research spaces, where students saw real scientific equipment and even human heart cells being used for research. Reactions included: “You can grow a heart by itself?” and “I didn’t know cells can live!” Students also took part in interactive activities including blood typing, measuring heartbeat and reaction times, and extracting DNA from strawberries. The DNA extraction workshop was a clear favourite, with students enthusiastically crushing strawberries before seeing the DNA appear. During the heartbeat activity, students excitedly listened to their own heartbeats, with one saying: “Come and look at my heart!” Wearing lab coats and stepping into the role of scientists for the day inspired many students, with comments including: “I feel like Scientist” and “I cannot wait to be a scientist.” #nightskyfoundation [Image description: Montage of three images with a purple background and the Lightyear Foundation logo in the top middle. The images are clockwise from top left, 1. Two students in lab coats are putting liquid into a tray with a pipette. 2. A student is smiling at the camera and holding her hands up by her face whilst sitting on a chair in the lab. 3. A student and adult are sitting with wires in front of them in the lab, one of the wires is attached to a red piece of plastic and this is being held over the students hand]

On 22 April, Lightyear Foundation hosted a successful SEND in STEM network event, bringing together a brilliantly diverse group of attendees from across the STEM and charity sectors. We were pleased to hear from an excellent range of speakers, including Charlotte Robey-Turner David Jones, Nichola Peaker, Lauren McNaughton and Faith Yianni, with a particular highlight being contributions from members of the Lightyear Youth Group. Their insights into co-production - as deaf, disabled and neurodivergent young people engaging with STEM and the charity sector - were insightful, thought provoking and inspiring, offering important perspectives on how inclusive practice can be strengthened across the sector. A key reflection from the day was captured by Lightyear Youth Group member Harrison, who said: “It’s not a case of if you give us an inch we’ll take a mile, it’s that if you give us an inch we’ll do as much as humanly possible with it.” The discussion throughout the event was constructive and engaging, with a strong emphasis on collaboration, lived experience and practical action to improve inclusion in STEM. Our next Youth Group meeting will take place on 13 May. For further information, please get in touch. With thanks to Words Apart for providing live captions, the Manchester Deaf Centre for hosting the event, and our BSL interpreters for supporting accessibility throughout. We would also like to extend our thanks to all attendees for contributing to such an inspiring and impactful event. #SENDinSTEM #DisabilityInclusion #CoProduction #STEM

This Deaf Awareness Week (4th to 10th May 2026), we’re proud to shine a light on the deaf children and young people who are part of our work, as part of our wider commitment to inclusion in STEM. At Lightyear Foundation, our work is shaped by lived experience. Three members of our team - Jeff, Kirsty and Naomi - are deaf and BSL users, and their insight, leadership and perspective are central to how we design and deliver inclusive STEM opportunities. We know that access is not an add-on. It must be built in from the start. That’s why we’re continuing to develop and share resources in British Sign Language (BSL), helping ensure more deaf young people can engage with, explore and thrive in STEM. 👉 Explore our BSL resources on our website (Link in bio ⬆️) #DeafAwarenessWeek #BSL #InclusiveSTEM #Accessibility [Image description: A pink and blue graphic for Deaf Awareness Week with the Lightyear Foundation logo in the corner and a link to the BSL resources on our website]

We were really pleased to be named finalists at the 2026 Smiley Charity Film Awards – alongside so many powerful and inspiring films from across the sector. At Lightyear Foundation, storytelling is a big part of how we work. We share the experiences and voices of deaf, disabled and neurodivergent young people, while opening up more accessible and inclusive pathways into STEM. While we didn’t take home an award this time, it was a real privilege to be part of a campaign that celebrates the power of film to drive understanding and change. Huge congratulations to all of this year’s winners – and thank you to everyone who supported and voted for our film. 👉 /winners See our video here /watch?v=D5G8VaLyD28 [Image description: Graphic with a yellow background and black text that says 'Finalist!' with a Smiley face daisy and the Smiley charity film awards logo in the corner]

We are delighted to share our new British Sign Language (BSL) page on our website. This page gives an introduction on BSL, shares some useful BSL and STEM resources and includes videos of 10 STEM signs which might be useful for exploring STEM at home and in the classroom. This page has been co-produced with Kirsty Vessey, our STEM Advisor, who has a strong background in both STEM and deaf education. As a deaf professional and fluent British Sign Language user, she is passionate about fostering inclusive environments where all young people - particularly those who are D/deaf or disabled - can thrive in STEM. This project was funded by The Ogden Trust, The Biochemical Society and Bailey Thomas Charitable Fund #britishsignlanguage #BSL #lightyearfoundation [Image description: A pink and blue graphic announcing a new BSL website page with the Lightyear Foundation logo in the corner]

We are excited to share our new Makaton Resources on our website. Watch an introduction to Makaton video where we explain Makaton and its uses, including 10 useful signs for working scientifically. We have also worked with The Makaton Charity to create 10 new Makaton concepts for STEM, these are featured as individual videos and symbols. We hope you find them useful for delivering STEM concepts in schools or at home. This project was funded by The Ogden Trust, The Biochemical Society and Bailey Thomas Charitable Fund #makaton #lightyearfoundation [Image description: A pink and blue graphic announcing a new Makaton website page with the Lightyear Foundation logo in the corner]

Earlier this week, we took our Immersive Sensory Science experience to Northern Ireland. Over the week our delivery partner, Immersive Experiences have visited four Northern Ireland Special Schools to deliver immersive pop-up planetarium domes. Each school has experienced beautiful colours and sounds to create an unforgettable multi-sensory experience to support STEM learning. This is part of our wider project kindly funded by the RTÉ Toy Show Grant Appeal. #rtetoyshowappeal RTE @latelaterte @cfnireland [Image description: A bright light projection us shown in the background and students can be seen in shadow in the foreground. The Lightyear Foundation logo is at the top middle of the image and the RTE Toy Show appeal logo is in the bottom right corner]

Students from Longstone School recently visited Belfast City Airport for a Work Inspiration Trip exploring engineering and technology. They were introduced to airport operations, took part in hands-on STEM activities, enjoyed a guided tour, and visited the on-site Fire and Rescue Service. Here, students explored specialist vehicles and equipment, sat in the fire truck, sounded the horn, and witnessed an exciting high-pressure water hose demonstration. The fire station experience was a highlight, creating a highly engaging and memorable day that strengthened students’ understanding of engineering roles in real-world environments. #rtetoyshowappeal RTE @latelaterte @cfnireland [image description: A collage of 3 photos on a purple background. The Lightyear Foundation logo sits at the top and the RTE Toy Show Appeal logo is the bottom right corner. The bottom image shows a group of students lined up in front of a fire truck. The top left image is a student smiling at the camera at a steering wheel wearing a fire helmet and the final image shows students looking out of the airport window with a man in a hi-vis coat]

Voting closes for the Smiley Charity Film Awards on 23rd April! We are finalists for the People's Choice Award but we need your help and support. The organisations with the most votes will win People's Choice in their category. Head to the Smiley Charity Film awards website to cast your vote before the Ceremony on the 23rd April. Thank you! #SmileyCFA26, #charityfilmawards, #TheSmileys #CFA26 [Image description: A graphic with a blue background and white text that says 'We are a Finalist!' with Smiley face daisies and the Smiley charity film awards logo in the corner]

Sign-ups are closing THIS FRIDAY for next week's SEND in STEM Event! We're excited to see you at the Manchester Deaf Centre on April 22nd, 2pm-5pm. Our fantastic speakers will get us thinking about how we can work together to create accessible, inclusive STEM spaces and experiences where young people have real agency. Link in our bio to to sign up ⬆️ #sendinstem #sendinstemnetwork [Image description: A promotional graphic for the Lightyear Foundation’s SEND in STEM event. The background is white with green and purple curved shapes and bubble-like circles. In the middle are three images, the first is someone holding a kettle with steam whilst wearing lab goggles and protective gloves. The second is a group of people from the network wearing lanyards and gathered together for a photos. The final image shares a young person talking with a microphone in front of a Lightyear Foundation banner]