A schoolgirl’s simple drawing, created when she was just eleven or twelve years old, launched her to international fame, saw her beat 70,000 other young inventors, and ended with her being immortalised as an official Lego figure. This is not a fantasy story. It is the astonishing, real-life account of Rebecca Young from Glasgow, whose brilliant and compassionate idea captured the world’s attention and brought real warmth to people on the coldest of nights.
A Chilling Problem on Glasgow’s Streets
The Scottish city of Glasgow is known for its vibrant culture, but its winters are famously severe. When temperatures plummet to a bone-chilling minus eight degrees Celsius, the city’s streets become a perilous place for anyone without shelter. For people experiencing homelessness, these conditions are not just uncomfortable; they can be deadly. This grim reality weighed heavily on the mind of Rebecca Young. While attending an engineering club at her school, Kelvinside Academy, she saw a problem that she believed science and creativity could solve.
An Idea Ignited by Empathy
A national competition, the Primary Engineer Leaders Award, posed a powerful question to students across the United Kingdom: “If you were an engineer, what would you do?” While many might dream up gadgets or games, Rebecca’s mind focused on the people she saw trying to survive the cold. She envisioned a device that could harness the sun’s power.
After carefully researching different solar panels, batteries, and wiring, she drew up a detailed blueprint for a solar-powered backpack containing a heated blanket. The concept was as elegant as it was simple. During the day, solar panels would energise a battery pack. At night, a person could use that stored energy to power the heated blanket, creating a warm and safe space to sleep.
From a Drawing to a Life-Saving Device
Rebecca’s incredible idea didn’t just impress her teachers; it won the entire competition, placing her first out of more than 70,000 entrants. This extraordinary win attracted the attention of Thales, a global engineering company that sponsored the award. The engineers at Thales saw the genius in her design and decided to do something amazing. They did not just give her a trophy; they worked with her to turn her drawing into a real, working product.
Soon after, an initial batch of 30 to 35 solar-powered blankets rolled off the production line. Thales delivered these life-changing devices directly to Homeless Project Scotland, a charity working on the front lines in Glasgow. The charity’s founder, Colin McInnes, explained that when shelters are full, these blankets offer critical comfort to a person sleeping rough, wrapping them in warmth through the night. He expressed a strong desire to receive more of the devices. Following the successful trial, plans were made to manufacture over 120 additional units. Rebecca’s mother, Louise, shared her immense pride, calling it amazing to see a simple drawing become a physical object that helps people.
An Inaugural Honour
Rebecca’s achievement sent ripples across the globe, eventually reaching the offices of one of the world’s most famous publications. For its inaugural “Girls of the Year 2025” awards, TIME magazine selected Rebecca as one of its honourees, celebrating young women who turn imagination into real-world impact. In a unique partnership with the famous Danish toy company, Lego, the award came with a surprising twist. Rebecca and the other nine winners appeared on a digital cover of TIME magazine, where artists had restyled them as official Lego mini-figures. She thought the experience was both “really cool and crazy.”
Even with this incredible success in the world of STEM, Rebecca revealed that her future ambitions lie in a different field. She hopes to become a musician when she is older. Her school’s rector, Daniel Wyatt, praised her as a shining example of a caring young person and a role model for anyone wanting to follow their own unique path in life.
