Budding engineers took part in a global engineering competition using Lego to create robots that could complete set tasks.

Almost 100 students took part in the challenge which was held at the University of Cumbria.

For months the children have been working on the project which involved them working together to designed a robot to tackle a real-life problem through science and adopted the competition’s core values - discovery, innovation, impact, inclusion, teamwork and fun.

Children from Newlaithes Junior School in Carlisle had an extra challenge after their robot Gary stopped working the night before.

Eager to take part the youngsters took on the gruelling challenge of creating Gary 2.0 thankfully they had the help of Teri Hardy who approached the school’s leaders inviting them to take part. She has also been a STEM ambassador for pupils, visiting them at least twice a week, she said: “I’ve wanted to work with children for such a long time, so I’m delighted that I’ve been able to do it through this opportunity from the university. The university and its partners C-STEM and REACT Foundation have done so well in bringing this competition to so many schools and children across north Cumbria.”

She added: “I’m so proud of my pupils, not only of how well they’ve done in the competition but at how well they’ve gelled as a team. The battery on their robot Gary died the night before the final and so they’ve had to make another – Gary 2.0 – with a little more than an hour to go. They’ve ended up getting some of the highest scores.”

Excited to be taking part, Josh Wood, 10, from Newlaithes Junior School said: “It has been a lot of fun we have all worked together and built Gary the robot.

“We were all worried and upset when the batteries stop working on Gary but we worked together to get him ready.”

Thrilled with her experience, Lacey Gray,11, from the school said: “We have worked really hard learning all the different parts and what we had to do.

“We gave up our lunchtimes and all worked together. It has been so much fun and we have all worked together.”

Nigel Smith, STEM coordinator at the University of Cumbria, said: “FIRST LEGO League aims to encourage interest in real-world themes and develop qualities such as leadership, confidence, teamwork and problem solving that are crucial for future careers, which resonate well with the aims of our courses at the university. We’re delighted too that FIRST LEGO League provides our students with an opportunity to become STEM ambassadors who work closely in collaboration with participating teams.”

Austin Friars received the Champion’s Award and the team will represent Carlisle in the UK final of first lego league in Bristol at the end of February.

Michael Robinson, assistant head of junior school at Austin Friars, said: “It is wonderful that the University of Cumbria has supported first lego league. It would be great to get 20 teams involved next year. We’ve got big engineering companies in and around Carlisle, it would be great to get them involved too.”

Other winners were Appleby Primary School (project), High Hesket School (core values), Stanwix School (robot design).