Former St Swithun’s student unveils purple plaque for women in innovation award

Claire Trant, the co-founder and CEO of Untap Health, visited her former school St Swithun’s in Winchester earlier this week to unveil a purple plaque after winning a national Women in Innovation Award from Innovate UK, the UK’s innovation agency.

She received the honour for her work as CEO and Co-Founder of Untap Health, which provides an early warning system for viral outbreaks (Covid-19, influenza, norovirus etc) via proprietary wastewater surveillance hardware and software.

The purple plaques are produced by Innovate UK, to recognise women inventors and to inspire more girls into STEM.

Claire was joined by members of her family, St Swithun’s headmistress Jane Gandee, Richard Roberts from Innovate UK and some of the school community to unveil the plaque outside of the science department before speaking to students to help inspire the next generation.

Currently, just 15% of blue plaques in London celebrate the achievements of women, with a similar story throughout the rest of the UK. This highlights the ongoing national issue of the underrepresentation of women in the workplace and in the education system, especially around STEM subjects where just 27% of STEM graduates are women, resulting in a lack of relatable role models for children and young people.

Claire Trant said: “It was an honour to return to St Swithun’s to receive a plaque on the Science Department. The school supported me in my most formative years, from eight to 18, both through my academic growth and extra-curricular.

“This award is especially important to me, as supporting young women in STEM is crucial for a balanced society. We’ve offered internships to help them develop business skills before entering the job market. STEM sectors, need diversity for true innovation that reflects society. Viral transmission affects us all, and though sewage technology may seem unappealing, I aim to inspire more women to explore these vital, yet overlooked, fields.”

Jane Gandee, St Swithun’s headmistress, said: “We believe that all of our students should have the opportunity to pursue their interests and passions, and not be confined by outdated gender stereotypes of what women should or should not do. It is inspiring for them to see the success Claire has had through her own grit and invention. We are very proud of her and what she has gone on to achieve.”

Richard Roberts, Campaigns Lead at Innovate UK, added: “In addition to supporting today’s trailblazing innovators, we want our Women in Innovation Awards to inspire the innovators of tomorrow. We’re bringing our incredible award winners back to their former schools, to celebrate the contribution of women innovators and unveil commemorative purple plaques. We hope that Claire’s plaque will serve as a lasting reminder that anyone can change the world through innovation.”