Mayor Attends Mid Sussex STEM Challenge Finale

On Friday 3rd July 2026, the Mayor of Haywards Heath attended the Mid Sussex STEM Challenge Finale, celebrating the achievements of local students who have spent the past nine months developing their engineering, problem-solving and teamwork skills.

The annual challenge brought together students from six local secondary schools, who were tasked with designing and building a vehicle powered by potential energy. Throughout the project, teams overcame engineering challenges, refined their designs and presented their work to a panel of judges before putting their vehicles to the test in the final competition.

Cllr Duncan Pascoe, the Mayor of Haywards Heath, enjoyed meeting students, teachers and industry representatives, and was impressed by the creativity, innovation and determination demonstrated by all of the teams. The event showcased not only the students' technical abilities but also the collaboration, resilience and presentation skills they had developed throughout the challenge.

2026 STEM Challenge Award Winners

Presentation Winner: Team 6, Sackville School

Engineering Winner: Team 10, St Paul’s Catholic College

Race Winner: Chailey School

Overall Winner: Chailey School

The Mayor congratulated all the participants on their hard work and praised the organisers, mentors and local businesses who supported the initiative. Events such as the Mid Sussex STEM Challenge play an important role in inspiring the next generation of engineers, scientists and innovators, while helping young people develop valuable skills for their future careers.