Rochdale students win national award for innovative Wheatsheaf revamp plan

Monday, 23 June 2025 10:44

By David Murphy

left: Scarlett Crossley, Gabby Ogden, and Ffion Williams

A group of sixth form students from Rochdale have scooped a national award for their visionary proposal to breathe new life into the town’s disused Wheatsheaf shopping centre.

Four students from Rochdale Sixth Form College, Ffion Williams (17), Gabby Ogden (17), Scarlett Crossley (16), and Anjuma Ali (17) won the Special Award for Nature and People Positive Innovation* (sponsored by the JBA Trust) in the Institution of Civil Engineers’ (ICE) CityZen competition.

The CityZen contest is a UK-wide programme designed to inspire 16–18 year olds to consider careers in civil engineering. This year, over 100 teams from across the country submitted proposals, each focused on solving a real-life problem in their local area.

Rochdale’s winning team envisioned transforming the Wheatsheaf site, a now-vacant retail centre, into a vibrant community hub. Their proposal featured rooftop allotments, a social club, a bowling alley, performance venues, art installations, and intergenerational spaces where younger people could engage with older residents through shared activities like knitting and digital skills sessions.

Student Ffion Williams said: “The principles we learnt in the game taught us to consider the impacts of our project on the surrounding community and encouraged us to incorporate sustainability into all we do. We are greatly pleased with the unique experience and enjoyed completing the project.”

Emma Antrobus, ICE’s North West regional director, praised the team’s efforts. “The CityZen competition encourages students to think about the challenges that civil engineers face. By proposing to re-purpose existing infrastructure and develop spaces that are sustainable and community-friendly, it’s clear this group learned how to overcome some of those challenges.”

The students were mentored by ICE member Piet Wojcik and earned £250 each, plus another £250 towards STEM resources for the college. They will also travel to ICE’s headquarters in Westminster to meet senior vice president David Porter and other national winners during a celebration lunch on Thursday 26 June.

Do you have a story for us? Want to tell us about something happening in our Borough?

Let us know by emailing newsdesk@rochvalleyradio.com

All contact will be treated in confidence.

More from Local News

Seven Sisters tenants reaction to the news they could soon be removed

Billy Jackson has called Rochdale’s Seven Sisters home for 40 years. But shock decision means 2025 will be his final year in the iconic tower blocks.
Festive magic arrives in Bury as North Pole Safari Trail transforms town centre

Free augmented reality trail, festive lights switch-on and family events launch Christmas celebrations in Bury
Replacement mosque plans approved despite concerns about parking

Plans to knock down and rebuild a mosque in Prestwich have been approved despite a 1,630 person petition opposing it.
Andy Burnham ‘taken aback’ by decision to move hundreds out of Seven Sisters towers

Andy Burnham was ‘taken aback’ by a decision to clear Rochdale’s iconic ‘Seven Sisters’ tower blocks, forcing hundreds from their homes.
Nine-bed HMO built ‘without permission’ discovered after neighbours complain

Council enforcement officers discovered a nine-bed HMO had been created without permission after a complaint from neighbours, councillors have heard.
Rochdale’s music legacy takes centre stage with iconic Cargo Studios reunion

Rochdale’s rich musical heritage was centre stage at a packed launch event marking the beginning of a new borough-wide celebration called ‘Rochdale Music Stories’, featuring big names like Peter Hook, Clint Boon and Andy McCluskey.
Naked man stops traffic on Rochdale Road in Bury in shocking mid-morning incident

A naked man caused disruption on a busy Bury road on Wednesday morning, swatting at cars and attempting to open vehicle doors before being detained and taken to hospital.
Seven Sisters tower blocks to be emptied over safety concerns

Residents of the iconic tower blocks that have dominated the skyline of Rochdale since the 1960s have been told they will be evicted due to safety concerns.
Culture Co-op secures £1 million to give Rochdale residents more say over arts and creativity

Rochdale’s Culture Co-op has been awarded £1 million to put local people at the heart of cultural decision-making, as part of a £42 million national programme run by Arts Council England.
Hollin pupils turn happiness into poetry during magical session in Middleton

Middleton Library plays host to spellbinding session with Rochdale’s poet laureate Sammy Weaver
Waugh presses government to ensure grooming inquiry tackles race and class ‘head on’

Rochdale MP Paul Waugh says national grooming inquiry must win survivors’ trust and 'follow the evidence wherever it leads’
Goodbye garlic bread? Sandbrook Park Pizza Hut to shut as 68 UK branches axed

Rochdale’s Pizza Hut restaurant is among dozens of UK branches set to permanently shut, after the company that operated the brand in the UK fell into administration.