A Royal Day Out: Cambridge’s future scientists get hands-on with the Sentimag®
One of our fundamental principles is creating intuitive and easy-to-use technologies. We put that to the test at the Cambridgeshire County Day by inviting students to successfully localise a Magseed® on our mascot MAGgie.
As part of the Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebrations, we were invited alongside Cambridgeshire's leading companies to showcase our latest innovations and inspire the largely young collection of attendees.
That included demonstrating how the Sentimag® supports the treatment of breast cancer, and discussing the exciting career opportunities in STEM.
As well as companies from the area, over 2,000 local school children also descended on the world-famous Newmarket Racecourse, full of enthusiasm and keen to learn more. And they weren’t alone, with The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge joining later in the day to add their royal seal of approval.
Demonstrating the Sentimag® with MAGgie
Over on our stand, we wanted to give visitors a taste of what it’s like to be a breast surgeon, particularly when identifying the location of a Magseed®. So what better way to do that than with a demo model to replicate the experience?
‘MAGgie’, our sponge-based mascot, proved extremely popular with visitors, who were encouraged to use the Sentimag® probe to find a pre-placed Magseed® in the breast. We had visitors of all ages trying out the system, including a number of promising surgeons in-the-making!
Speaking to BBC Cambridgeshire, our CEO Dr Eric Mayes, spoke about the importance of supporting these types of events, and giving something back to the community.
“We are thrilled to be supporting Cambridgeshire County Day. It’s really quite humbling to be standing here alongside local charities, and engaging students in STEM activities with hands-on demonstrations showcasing how our technologies are helping to improve cancer care.”Eric Mayes, CEO, Endomag
In the presence of royalty
Later that afternoon the arrival of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge sent the crowds' excitement levels through the roof. The couple proceeded to take time to speak with many of the local school children and businesses in attendance, taking in the fun and educational atmosphere of the day.
This was our latest brush with royalty, with Endomag having been honoured with a second Queen’s Award for International Trade last year, presented by the Lord Lieutenant Cambridgeshire, Julie Spence.
As the Queen’s representative for the county, and chaperone to the Duke and Duchess, the Lord Lieutenant was an integral part in the organisation of the event and bringing the whole day together.
“My role is to support and encourage a vibrant Cambridgeshire society, and that vibrancy was so apparent on the day. I wanted to bottle it! I’d like to thank all of the businesses - including Endomag - who helped to make the day so special.”Julie Spence, HM Lord Lieutenant
Bringing STEM into the spotlight
While we always love to showcase our technologies, the event allowed us to show students how interesting a career in STEM can be.
We've been running year-in-industry programs for several years now, which provide the opportunity for students to both learn about our advanced technologies, and play a part in enhancing them ever further for physicians and patients.
It's our belief that companies such as ours have a key role in helping to develop the next generation of talented young people into STEM careers, and that’s why we love taking part in events such as the Cambridgeshire County Day.
We'd like to say a huge thank you to the organisers of this year's event, as we look forward to taking part in the next one!