We would like to thank the Trustees of the Tom Amos Charity who have very kindly agreed to support our work with a grant towards the annual Christmas Lectures. Now in their fourth year, the lectures have grown to be one of the biggest educational events in the county. This year we will host students from 40 schools, nearly one-third of the secondary schools in Essex, over three days.

The grant of £1,000 will go a long way towards covering the costs of these events which are offered FREE of any charge to secondary schools.

If your school would like to bring students along, we do still have some places available at all three lectures.

Go to our events pages at cses.org.uk/events to find out more.

Seeking a technician to support Minecraft community activity

Over the weekend of 24-25 October 2026, CSES will be taking part in the Chelmsford Science Festival Family Weekend. In collaboration with Culture Chelmsford as part of the Playable Worlds series of gaming-related events and activities, we will be hosting a Minecraft server where people can build their own creations as part of a community mural. (This was very popular when we piloted it in 2025!)

We are seeking someone who could help by supervising this activity. Culture Chelmsford has funding for a paid technician role to monitor the activity and provide basic technical support to the participants if needed. There will be a small number of PCs set up in one room for users to access the Minecraft server, with instructions given. We will provide full training / briefing to anyone supporting the activity.

Basic IT skills are required. Some knowledge of Minecraft would help but is not necessary.

If you are interested, please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Now in their fourth year, the Society's annual free Christmas Lectures for schools have become one of the biggest educational events in Essex. The lectures are proving increasingly popular and this year (2026) we hope to host nearly 2,000 students over three days at ARU. We could not stage these events without the help of our volunteers so, if you can spare some time, please let us know if you would be able to help.

On Monday 7th December the subject will be Mathematics, on Tuesday 8th December it will be Geology and on Friday 11th December it will be Astronomy. If you could help on any, or all, of these days we would be most grateful to see you there. The events are not too testing and the main activity will be directing schools and students to where they need to be.  There will be two sessions on each day, morning and afternoon, and we will provide vouchers for lunch if you are able to be there.

You are, of course, also welcome to sit in on the lectures if you wish.

If you can help us please get in touch at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

On Wednesday, 23 September 2026, Roger Pittock and Ed Bye represented CSES (Chelmsford Science and Engineering Society) at the annual Braintree Careers Fair, held at the Chelmsford City Racecourse.

Supported by Braintree District Council, the event aimed to raise awareness of post-16 opportunities—including Further Education, Higher Education, Apprenticeships, and Employment—for Year 11 students. The fair brought together over 1,800 students from eight Braintree District schools (Alec Hunter Academy, Tabor Academy, Notley High School, Hedingham School, Honywood School, Ramsey Academy, Maltings Academy, Rickstones Academy).

In line with the CSES mission, Roger and Ed actively promoted various aspects of STEM, engaging students and encouraging them to explore STEM career paths through interactive, hands-on demonstrations and explanations.

Read more: Braintree and District Careers Fair 2026

Hands-on engineering at Shire Hall Open Day

CSES brought practical engineering to Shire Hall Open Day on 12 September 2026 with an interactive Egg Drop Challenge for children and families.

Around 25–30 children took part during the day, designing and testing their own egg-protection systems. The challenge encouraged participants to explore basic ideas in physics and engineering, including air resistance, parachutes, surface area, impact speed and energy absorption.

Read more: Shire Hall Egg Drop Challenge

Every gamer has a story to tell and we'd love to hear yours!

As part of Playable Worlds, SPARK! is inviting gamers of all backgrounds and skill levels to submit a blog about their gaming experiences.

Gaming is so much more than high scores, leaderboards, and achievements—it's about the friendships we make, the adventures we share, the challenges we overcome, and the unforgettable moments along the way.

Whether you game online or face-to-face, love solo quests or thrive in a team, you're part of an incredible community, and we’d like your story to be heard.

We're looking for blog submissions from everyone. It doesn't matter if you've just picked up your first controller, spend your evenings exploring new worlds, compete in esports, or game professionally. Every experience brings a fresh perspective, and every voice helps make our community thrive.

Read more: Playable Worlds – Gaming Blog Series

Get creative for your chance to win one of five £50 vouchers!

As part of Playable Worlds, SPARK! is inviting 5 to 25 year olds to get their creative hats on and take part in their Design a Video Game Character competition, with the chance to win a £50 voucher in each age category!

Read more: Playable Worlds – Video Game Character Competition

Join SPARK! at Chelmsford Library to design a Video Game Character for a chance to win one of five £50 vouchers!

We’re excited to share that SPARK!’s new youth-led gaming fringe festival programme, Playable Worlds, part of the Chelmsford Science Festival this October, is starting soon.

Read more: Playable Worlds – Video Game Character Competition (drop-in sessions)