Published at 09:04, Saturday, 03 March 2012

A 27-year-old woman from Cockermouth is a national guiding light – and that’s official.

Claire Jones has been named as one of Girlguiding UK’s 24 Guiding Lights for her award-winning work with young people in engineering.

Claire, who studied mechanical engineering and works in the nuclear industry, has run education panels, contributed to a government paper on women in science and is chair of the IMechE (Institution of Mechanical Engineers) Young Members Board, representing 65,000 members internationally.

She was awarded the IMechE Young Member of the Year for her voluntary work and the WISE UKRC (Women in Science and Engineering) (United Kingdom Resource Centre) Excellence Award for services to promote engineering as a career to girls and young women.

Announcing the accolade, Chief Guide Gill Slocombe said: “Guiding remains one of the only spaces where girls and young women can be adventurous, learn new skills, have their opinions heard and gain leadership skills outside of school, without feeling they have to conform to a set of narrow stereotypes.”

Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk