FP McCann brought The Big Bridge to St. Patrick’s Primary School, Pennyburn
Title: The Big Bridge, St. Patrick’s Primary School, Friday 17th November 2023
In Attendance: Rebecca Henderson, Joshua Howe, Enda Shields, Niamh Gribbin (FP McCann)
Brendan Roberts, Mark Rooney (Design ID)
Description: The Big Bridge went to St Patricks Primary School, Pennyburn on Friday 17th November, as part of the Bay Road Bridge and Greenway project which involves the construction of a new 63m long foot and cycle bridge across the Pennyburn Inlet, along with 663m of new greenway which will connect to Bay Road Park.
The Big Bridge is an interactive educational tool as part of STEM education and ties in with key stage 2 learning, giving a hands-on fun experience. The students were given a presentation on bridges and the project before introducing the task. Students were then split into groups on each side of the bridge which involved constructing the deck using scaffolding and pins, before attaching the cables. Then the testing began, with the students demonstrating the full range of walking styles whilst crossing the bridge one by one, this included some of the teachers as well as the Principal, Mr Devlin.
Pupils were then informed about recycling and reuse of the components, so the bridge was dismantled back to its original building blocks, a task which was undertaken with a lot of enthusiasm.
Throughout the three sessions which were delivered, with one class from Primary 5, 6 and 7, the students completed the build and dismantle under the tuition of FP McCann and Design ID staff whilst answering queries about both the big bridge and bridge construction in general. Pupils posed many varied and unexpected questions to challenge the construction team, including local bridges and protecting the environment.
Pupils then watched a video from other civil engineering projects. Going by the positive interaction and feedback there are certainly a few students who will be embarking on a career in the construction and engineering sector in the future.
Thank you to St Patrick’s Primary school for allowing us the opportunity to give the students this experience.
The Bay Road Bridge and Greenway project is funded by INTERREG VA, administered by the Special EU Programmes Body and the Department for Communities. FP McCann along with the design team from Design ID are delivering the project on behalf of Derry City & Strabane District Council.
Ends
- The Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB) is a North/South Implementation Body sponsored by The Department of Finance in Northern Ireland and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform in Ireland. It is responsible for managing two European Union Structural Funds Programmes, PEACE IV and INTERREG VA which are designed to enhance cross-border cooperation, promote reconciliation, and create a more peaceful and prosperous society. The Programmes operate within a clearly defined area including Northern Ireland, the Border Region of Ireland and in the case of INTERREG VA, Western Scotland.
The INTERREG VA Programme has a European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) contribution of €240 million and aims to address the economic and social problems which result from the existence of borders.
