Ringway Time Capsule rings the change

In partnership with the Midlands Highway Alliance, the National Skills Academy and the Leicestershire Education Business Company, Ringway is committed to supporting education and this challenge has been designed to capture the culture (past, present and future) of the Loughborough area and to promote both education and community cohesion.

Teams of 6-8 will determine the contents of the capsule which is to be buried at the Eastern Gateway site where Ringway are currently completing an extensive redevelopment programme of improvements.

“The main aim of the incentive is, while celebrating Loughborough’s rich history and the spirit of the young people who will be driving the town forward, for students to demonstrate transferable skills for the world of work such as enterprise, teamwork, effective communication, problem solving and developing creative talent,” says Ringway Site Agent, Adam Campbell.

Students have been given carte blanche in deciding what will go into their capsule and are encouraged to be creative when deciding what to include but are reminded to give considerable thought to what will both fit and survive the duration of a long burial as the excavation is planned for 2061. Extra credit will also be given for innovative contents that is creatively captured, displayed and stored.

The capsule should represent the history of the local area and suggested entries include:

• Articles capturing an historic local event with images, photos and visuals.
• Interviews with local key figures.
• Current news stories about Loughborough.
• Expectations of life in 2061.
• Team photos with future aspirations.
• 100 year timeline detailing the developments in Loughborough.
• Pictures of the Eastern Gateway and details of its improvements.

Students have until the 8 July to register and until the 12 October to submit their proposals which must detail both the contents and the reasoning behind them. Once they have been received by the Leicestershire Education Business Company a panel of judges will assess the submissions in the Dragons Den style final on the 31 October 2011.

The ‘Dragons’ will be made up of representatives from Ringway, the Midlands Highway Association and Loughborough Residents Association. The assessment criteria for the judging will be based around the teams’ research and planning, teamwork and communication, originality, appreciation of locality and a firm understanding of the Eastern Gateway.