In our weekly good news round-up, we feature three positive stories from across the week that showcase remarkable innovation, breakthroughs, and progress within the realms of healthcare, sustainability, equity and inclusion, workplace wellbeing, social impact and more.

Here are our favourite positive stories of the week, 30 September to 6 October, 2024.

Schoolgirls win UK’s first engineering team award in robotics 

A group of schoolgirls from Bournemouth School for Girls has made history as the first UK team to win an individual team award at a major international robotics competition. The five students, aged 15 to 17, competed in Athens alongside teams from over 190 countries, in a four-day event between September 26 and 29.

Their robot, designed to tackle real-world challenges like food security, earned them the prestigious Katherine Johnson Award for Engineering Portfolio.

It marks the first time an all-girl team from the UK has participated in the event. Team member Dani said the girls’ hard work had paid off, after “nine weeks of building, prototyping, designing and then computing.”

There’s been a growing number of all-girl teams from across the world taking part in the annual competition, said Dani. “I hope it can show a lot of girls that it’s something that they can do and aspire to.”

The girls competing in Athens were chosen from a wider team, called Ultraviolet, made up of pupils aged between 13 and 16 years old. Read more of the story here.

WATCH: STEM: Access of All

New funding to boost urban green spaces and reconnect people with nature

The National Lottery Heritage Fund has launched a £15 million initiative to put nature at the heart of urban communities, supporting projects that enhance green spaces across the UK.

This funding will empower local authorities and community organisations to improve access to nature, revitalise parks, and protect wildlife, ensuring that urban areas become greener, more sustainable, and resilient to the impacts of climate change.

The investment is a vital step toward reconnecting people with nature, enhancing biodiversity, and making urban spaces more liveable for future generations.  Read more of the story here.

COMING SOON: Urban Evolution: Our Future Cities 

Aldi shifts to sustainable logistics: 160 lorries to run on vegetable oil

Aldi has announced plans to convert nearly a third of its HGV lorry fleet to run on hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO), an eco-friendly diesel alternative that significantly cuts greenhouse gas emissions.

This change will see 160 lorries from its distribution centres in Cardiff, Swindon, and Neston switch to HVO fuels, reducing Aldi’s carbon footprint by approximately 15,432 tonnes of CO2 annually. If expanded to its entire fleet of 550 lorries, the supermarket could slash an additional 55,130 tonnes of CO2 emissions per year.

Liz Fox, Aldi’s national sustainability director, described the move as a key step toward the company’s long-term sustainability goals.

“Switching to HVO fuels on our lorry fleet aligns with our long-term sustainability goals and reflects our commitment to reducing our carbon emissions”, she said.

“We are always looking for ways to continue our efforts to drive positive change across the business and this move in particular is a significant milestone for Aldi.”

Read more of the story here.

COMING SOON: Transforming Logistics

To shine a light on the logistics sector, ITN Business is producing a news style programme ‘Transforming Logistics: Precision and Purpose’, launching at a BIFA flagship event in October 2024.

It will feature contributions from thought leaders in the logistics and supply sector, BIFA (the British International Freight Association), Logistics UK and CILT, the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport in the UK. ​