A FORMER pupil of a Torfaen school has helped students get a taste for science during a special visit.

Lab in a Lorry, a mobile science lab for young people, visited Pontypool’s West Monmouth School earlier to connect young people in the region to science.

Groups from the school took part in organised visits to the lab, designed to inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers.

One of the volunteers demonstrating the experiments on show was Ian Simpson, a former pupil of the school who works as a science technician at the University of South Wales (USW).

The 44ft lorry is fitted with three distinct lab areas where groups of up to six young people can take part in each of the fun and informative experiments.

The programme is delivered by volunteers – all scientists and engineers – who give the students a chance to try experiments and think about the surprises and questions that arise.

The aim of the scheme, a partnership between a number of organisations including the Welsh Government and the Institute for Physics, among others, is to encourage positive attitudes towards science and to make science and engineering more attractive.

Helen Obee Reardon, of USW, who is also STEM Co-ordinator for First Campus – a partnership of the universities in South East Wales, which aims to raise the aspirations of young people and encourage them to go on to study at college and university.

She said: “It’s great to see USW staff, such as Ian, getting involved with the effort to raise interest in STEM subjects, and passing on his knowledge to pupils at his former school.

“Earlier this year Lab in a Lorry visited USW, where schoolchildren from across the region the chance to see for themselves the importance of science, and how exciting it can be, and we’re delighted once again to play a part in raising interest in science among future engineers, mathematicians, technology experts and scientists.”

Schools can request a visit from Lab in a Lorry through the website labinalorry.org.uk which also contains information on how to become a volunteer.

Lab in a Lorry is actively recruiting additional partners to ensure the programme expands and continues to be a free experience for all. For more information on partnerships, visit the Lab in a Lorry website.

The programme offers 11 to 14-year-olds the opportunity to explore science through specially created interactive experiments and started in early 2005.

The programme will be running in Wales until next March.