ROSS girl Kia Ballantyne, a student at Haberdashers’ Monmouth School for Girls, has made it through to the UK final of The Big Bang UK Young Scientists and Engineers Competition after wowing judges at the regional heats.

Kia (15) impressed the judges with her project examining how the UK can reduce its waste.

Kia will go on to join over 200 other project teams from across the UK in the finals, which take place during The Big Bang UK Young Scientists & Engineers Fair at the Birmingham NEC, in March 2017.

The Big Bang Competition is an annual contest designed to recognise and reward young people’s achievements in all areas of science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM), as well as helping them build skills and confidence in project-based work.

The competition is open to 11-18 year olds, and gives participants the chance to compete for top prizes such as international experiences worth over £50,000 and prestigious awards such as UK Young Scientist and UK Young Engineer of the Year.

Commenting on Kia’s success, Paul Jackson, Chief Executive of EngineeringUK, which organises the competition said: “This year’s entries to The Big Bang Competition highlight how talented the UK’s young scientists and engineers are. It’s easy to see why this project has secured a place at the national finals. We’re now excited about seeing all the finalists come together at the fair in March, where they will have the chance to impress the judges and inspire other young visitors.”

“Congratulations to Kia and good luck for March.”

Mrs Debra Davies, Head of Physics at Haberdashers’ Monmouth School for Girls, said: “Having the opportunity to put theory into practice has been great fun and has given Kia an idea of just how interesting a career in the sciences could be. To get through to the national final is the icing on the cake – Kia can’t wait to show off her project again and hopes to come back from the UK finals in March with an award!"