Young People Inspired at Dan Aldridge MP’s Summer School in Weston

Over 40 young people from Weston-super-Mare and surrounding areas took part in an exciting two-day Summer School this week, led by local MP Dan Aldridge and hosted at the Grand Pier.

The event brought together professionals from the worlds of tech, media, politics, and business to help raise aspirations, build skills, and open doors for the next generation.

With the aim of inspiring young people in a town that, like many coastal areas, faces economic and opportunity challenges, the Summer School offered an intensive programme of creative workshops, industry insight sessions and hands-on activities.

The event began with a high-energy panel session from Dan Aldridge, MP Leigh Ingham, and Josh McTaggart. On the second day the young people listened to a panel featuring guest speakers from Meta, Adobe, Snap, ITV News and videographers who shared their own career journeys and advice.

Across the two days, attendees took part in:

· A campaign challenge to tackle issues in Weston

· A business pitching competition to improve the local economy

· A crash course in Adobe software, including video editing

· Filming and content creation workshops

· An escape-room-style cyber security challenge

· Q&As and mentoring sessions with professionals from tech and creative industries

Dan Aldridge MP said; “Weston has amazing young people, and they deserve the same chances as anyone else. This Summer School was about raising aspirations and showing what’s possible, whether that’s a career in tech, media, politics or starting something of your own. We want Weston’s young people to see that their voice matters and their ideas can shape the future.”

The programme was designed to address the opportunity gap faced by young people in coastal and underserved towns like Weston-super-Mare.

While cities often benefit from established networks and access to industry professionals, events like this are aimed at bridging the gap by bringing those opportunities directly to the community.

Workshops also focused on building confidence, teamwork, and creative thinking, with young people encouraged to pitch, present, and collaborate in real-world settings.

The Summer School is part of a wider commitment from Dan Aldridge MP to empower young people in Weston and ensure the town is not left behind in the national conversation about skills, education, and opportunity.

“This is about changing the story for Weston’s young people,” said Dan. “It starts with belief - and we’ve seen so much talent, energy and creativity over these two days. The future is bright if we invest in it.”