v INDEPENDENT, LOCAL AND PROUD v 8th October 2026 • The HERALD • Page 67 ASK A PROFESSIONAL Barclays Launches F1-Inspired Challenge To Boost AI-Era Skills Barclays LifeSkills, supported by Atlassian Williams F1 Team, has recently launched, Accelerate your skills, a new UK-wide competition challenging young people aged 11–25 to develop creative solutions to a realworld business challenge while building the human skills increasingly needed in the age of AI. Participants will develop innovative ideas that could inspire a new generation of fans to engage with the team and the sport. eir solutions could take the form of an event or experience, a social media campaign, a community initiative, or any other creative activation designed to grow awareness and engagement. e competition is free to enter and is now open for schools, colleges, universities and youth groups to register individuals or teams via the Accelerate your skills competition website: https://barclayslifeskills.com/ accelerate-your-skills-competition/ full terms and conditions apply. C.S. Venkatakrishnan, Chief Executive Officer at Barclays, said: “AI is reshaping the way we learn and work. As this technology evolves, skills such as creativity, critical thinking and collaboration will become even more valuable alongside technical expertise. Success in the future workplace will come from combining the power of AI with uniquely human skills, and we all have a role to play in helping people develop them. We’re excited to launch this competition to help inspire the next generation and help them thrive in the years ahead.” James Vowles, Team Principal at Atlassian Williams F1, said: “Atlassian Williams F1 team has always been driven by innovation, teamwork and the relentless pursuit of performance. As a team, we are constantly looking for ways to find our edge and extract even more performance on and off track. This competition challenges young people from across the UK to think in the same way, and imagine new opportunities for our organisation ahead of our fiftieth anniversary year. We look forward to seeing their entries.” Winners will be announced in January at a Barclays LifeSkills live event hosted at the Atlassian Williams F1 factory and will receive a range of prizes. Winning entries will be selected by a panel of judges based on how e ectively they have addressed the challenge brief, demonstrated the use of core human skills and articulated how AI supported their thinking. Accelerate your skills is delivered through Barclays LifeSkills, which has helped millions of people build the con dence, skills and knowledge they need for work and life, and forms part of Barclays’ wider commitment to back the future of young people across the UK. The Morrisons Foundation Helps Two Totton Charities A grant of £2,533 from the Morrisons Foundation has enabled 4th Eling Sea Scouts and Testwood Lakes Sailability (TLS) to purchase an EvacChair and fund the training for the Sea Scouts and TLS volunteers to safely use the new equipment. e EvacChair has been tted on the wall on the rst oor of the Sea Scout HQ at Testwood Lakes providing an escape facility for wheelchair users in the event of an emergency evacuation of the building. is will enable wheelchair users to safely access the 1st oor, which up until now has not been possible. 4th Eling Sea Scout Group provide Scouting and boating activities to its members at its Aquativity Centre at Testwood Lakes. e centre is also used regularly by other Scout Groups, school groups and charities. More information can be found at: https:// newforestscouts.org.uk/groups/eling One of the regular users of the centre is Testwood Lakes Sailability, a volunteer run organisation which provides dinghy sailing to people with disabilities. TLS operates at the lake every Monday and ursday from April to October. More information can be found at: https://www. testwood.org.uk Testwood Lakes Sailability volunteers receiving the Morrisons Foundation cheque
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