A Surrey lift manufacturer joined forces with Brooklands Museum and global engineering consultancy AtkinsRéalis to deliver a day of STEM learning for local SEND students.

Sesame Access is a global manufacturer of bespoke accessibility solutions, including retractable stairlifts and wheelchair platform lifts, designed to make all buildings accessible, even Grade 1 listed.

This first-ever Brooklands Innovation Academy STEM event welcomed sixty students from six Surrey schools to a series of engineering workshops held at the historic Brooklands Museum.

The event, developed in partnership between Sesame Access, AtkinsRéalis and Brooklands Museum, engaged students with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) through interactive, real-world engineering activities.

Giles, Purchasing Manager from Sesame Access, taught students how pneumatics and hydraulics power movement, just like the lifts Sesame builds to make buildings accessible.

placeholder image — Giles, Purchasing Manager from Sesame Access, taught students how pneumatics and hydraulics power movement, just like the lifts Sesame builds to make buildings accessible.

Students from Philip Southcote, Freemantles, Woodfield, Hopescourt, Fernways and Hawley Woods schools attended the event focused on problem-solving, teamwork and learning through experimentation.

In the Sesame Access workshop, students explored pneumatics and hydraulics by building spray-painting machines, designing 3D-printed manifolds to power colourful paint sprays.

Alison Lyons, Director of Commercial Development at Sesame Access, said how impressed she was by the students’ engineering knowledge, curiosity and creativity.

“Everyone asked insightful questions and threw themselves into every task. We talked a lot about how engineers think differently, often creatively, unusually, and how failure is part of the process.

In the Sesame Access workshop, students explored pneumatics and hydraulics by building spray-painting machines, designing 3D-printed manifolds to power colourful paint sprays.

“The students told us about their future dreams, some wanted to become engineers, others aspired to join the armed forces or pursue careers in the arts. It was a brilliant day, and I definitely learnt as much from the students as they did from us.

“It’s important to us that we’re more than just a lift manufacturer. We want to actively engage with our community and understand how accessibility and equal opportunities truly impact people’s lives. That inspiration drives us to innovate and work harder every day.”

The event was hosted at Brooklands Museum, a site with a rich heritage of British engineering and aviation history. Bringing together education, creativity and accessibility, the event marked an important step in opening up STEM pathways to students who may not always see themselves represented in the field.

Sesame Access believes engineering should be accessible to everyone. By providing hands-on experiences and championing diverse ways of thinking, the company hopes to inspire the next generation of creative problem-solvers and inclusive innovators.

For more information about Sesame Access, please visit: www.sesameaccess.com