Young people will be able to try their hand at building robots during a main event in Shetland’s summer calendar.
The Scalloway Gala will take place from July 3-5 and Scottish Sea Farms has donated £589 from its Heart of the Community Trust to help bring the exciting educational workshop to this year’s event.
The gala organisers have managed to secure a visit from touring educational group Dark Sky Wales, who will be running robotics workshops at the gala.
Children and young people will learn how to build a working robot, modelled on a lunar exploration rover.
The funding will be used to pay transport costs from Aberdeen to Shetland for one visiting instructor from Dark Sky Wales.
Dark Sky Wales is a leading supplier of world class educators and astronomers to schools in the UK whose simple aim is to inspire young minds.
Toby Sandison, chairman of the Scalloway Gala, said: “Our team set out this year with the aim of reinvigorating the Scalloway Gala and returning it as a key date in the community’s calendar.
“The workshops offered by Dark Sky Wales will be a highlight of the weekend that we hope will attract visitors to the village from all over Shetland. Without the support of Scottish Sea Farms this simply wouldn’t have been possible and we owe them a huge amount of gratitude for the funding they have provided towards this project.”
Scottish Sea Farms and the Heart of the Community Trust has also awarded a further £6,000 to the Scalloway Youth Centre Trust to allow them to purchase a marquee that can be used by local groups, including the Scalloway Gala.
This will give local clubs and groups the use of a marquee without incurring costly hire charges.