Over 1,000 people gathered at Spaceport Cornwall on Saturday 5th of July for the sold-out Reach for the Sky Festival - a groundbreaking event designed to inspire girls to explore careers in aviation, aerospace, and STEM.
Organised by TECgirls (part of TECwomen CIC), the festival provided hands-on experiences to more than 500 girls, encouraging them to imagine bold futures in industries where women remain underrepresented.
Despite the rain, attendees explored 20+ interactive exhibits across three buildings, including rocket launches, flight simulators, drone demos, AI coding, LEGO robotics, and a giant travelling museum by Discovering 42. To help bring young dreams to life, participants had the opportunity to sit in real aircraft cockpits, speak to female pilots and engineers, and meet role models from across the aviation and aerospace sectors.
The event was delivered with the support of a large range of committed organisations including Kids Invent Stuff, Leonardo Helicopters, Serco, DEFRA, Slingshot Aerospace, Isles of Scilly Travel, Discovering 42, Cognition Learning, Cornwall Council, Falmouth Games Academy, Cornwall College, Truro and Penwith College, Newquay Flying School, Spaceport Cornwall, and Cornwall Airport Newquay.
Over 100 volunteers from non-profits such as RAF Cadets, Girl Guides, Cornwall Air Ambulance, Kernow Soroptimists, and Newquay Waterpolo contributed to the success of the event.
Key Impact Statistics Reach for the Sky Festival 2025 received overwhelmingly positive feedback from attendees, demonstrating the event’s success in raising aspirations and awareness:
● 98% of attendees were satisfied or very satisfied
● 100% would recommend the festival to a friend
● 94% of children left more excited about aviation and aerospace
● 98% of girls were more interested in Technology, Engineering, or Creativity (TEC)
● 86% said the girl-focused theme influenced their decision to attend
Participant feedback highlighted the emotional and educational impact:
“It was a day of fun, it was a day of laughter. It was a day of so many smiles. It was a day of meeting so many wonderful people who all spoke so passionately about their role, the technology they were using, the planes they were flying and it was heartwarming.”
“It's great for girls to feel that there is something aimed directly at them and that they are just as capable as anyone else of excelling in technical careers. The content of the event was very inspiring both for girls and parents! We are looking forward to the next one.”
Tackling Inequality:
Women make up less than 6% of UK pilots and fewer than 10% of aviation engineers. The Reach for the Sky initiative aims to close this gap by sparking early interest and offering strong role models.
What’s Next for TECgirls:
● Reach for the Sky Mentors Club in 10 schools (Sept–Dec 2025)
● Take Off Challenge Day for Year 9 girls (Autumn 2025)
● Work Experience Week in aircraft engineering (Oct 2025)
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