Schoolchildren have designs on homes of the future

More than 200 North East schoolchildren shared their vision for homes of the future during a visit to Beamish, The Living Museum of the North.

North East Mayor Kim McGuinness and TV architect George Clarke met with 250 students from Cotsford, Yohden, Easington Colliery, Dene House and Dame Dorothy Primary Schools at Beamish, for the culmination of a student challenge that sought to engage young people in shaping the future of their communities.

Students from years five and six at the five schools were tasked with designing a new masterplan for Horden, coming up with ideas around appropriate housing types, community facilities, infrastructure, green transport and the use of green energy.

At the museum, students had the opportunity to showcase their ideas for Horden for the first time, providing a scale model of their designs for the area, and submitting a video which explained the rationale behind their ideas.

During their trip to Beamish on Friday (12th December 2025), students were able to take part in a STEM activity based around the invention of the safety lamp, as well as reflecting on typical housing, communities and facilities pre and post the housing revolution. Students also heard about how yester-year’s infrastructure – disused mineshafts – are now being repurposed, powering new district geothermal heat networks that will sustain homes across the North East.

Mobie North, the charity George Clarke is Patron of, has led the project with the backing of the North East Combined Authority. Mobie North aims to inspire future generations about green initiatives and infrastructure, social and affordable housing, and master planning and regeneration.

Rhiannon Hiles, Beamish’s Chief Executive, said: “We were delighted to welcome the children, Mayor Kim McGuinness, George Clarke and Mobie North to Beamish for this wonderful event. It was truly inspiring to see the students’ brilliant work and innovative ideas, and to celebrate their achievements.

“Beamish is an anchor institution, with the region’s communities at our heart – we are committed to championing the North East and creating opportunity. Learning and skills are integral to this, including our education programmes and work to increase access to careers in the creative and cultural sector, so it was a real pleasure to host and be part of this fantastic event at the museum.”

George was on-hand to talk to students during their Beamish visit, and the Mayor also spoke to young people about how important it is that regeneration meets the needs of the next generation who will live, work and play in the region.

Mayor Kim McGuinness said: “Every family deserves a home that is warm, affordable, and part of a thriving community, with access to green spaces, good transport links, and opportunities for the future.

“I’ve loved seeing kids from the North East excited to design what our future should look like. This is about putting our communities at the heart of regeneration, and I’m proud to see young voices shaping the homes of tomorrow with some brilliant ideas.”

George said: “I am thrilled to be here today celebrating the work of 250 young people from across the region, who have taken part in a student challenge that we hope will bring a different voice to the discussion about the future of our communities in this country.

“Communities should be built for the people who live within them, so having students who may eventually call these properties home help shape the design of Horden is fantastic, and their work will be passed on to Durham County Council to inform their approach. It’s been a wonderful project, with so many brilliant ideas put forward by the students. I hope this has inspired them too about the opportunities presented by a career in built environment.”

Six teams entered masterplan designs, creating models for a regenerated Horden, with more than 50 children presenting to George and Kim in small teams, while their classmates took part in various workshop sessions and enjoyed the museum. Students took over the 1950s welfare hall for the day, with teams setting up their models around the room.