13-Year-Old Girl Inventor Creates Solar-Powered Blanket for the Homeless | Wins TIMES “Girl Of The Year” Recognition

A young girl from Glasgow is proving that age is no barrier to impact. Rebecca Young, 13, designed a solar-powered heated blanket in a backpack to help people experiencing homelessness survive freezing nights. Her invention has already won national awards, been developed into real prototypes, and brought her international recognition including a spot on TIME magazine’s first-ever “Girls of the Year” list.

From School Sketch to Life-Saving Invention

At age 11, Rebecca was inspired by the harsh Glasgow winters, where temperatures can plunge below zero, leaving people sleeping rough in danger. She drew up a design for a backpack that could unfold into a heated blanket, powered by solar panels charging a battery during the day and providing warmth through copper wiring and an automatic thermostat at night.

The design entered the Primary Engineer MacRobert Medal competition, competing against 70,000 entries across the UK. Rebecca’s solar blanket for the homeless won both a Silver Medal and a Commendation Medal, standing out as a solution rooted in empathy and engineering skill. (Glasgow City of Science)

Turning an Idea Into Reality

Global engineering firm Thales UK stepped in to transform Rebecca’s idea into a functioning prototype. They refined the materials, ensured waterproofing and fire resistance, and developed copper-wire heating elements powered by a lithium-ion battery and flexible solar panels.

In June 2025, Thales donated 30 solar-heated backpack blankets to Glasgow homelessness charities, with 120 more in production. These blankets provide up to eight hours of warmth per charge, giving vulnerable people vital comfort through the night. (Thales UK)

TIME Names Rebecca a “Girl of the Year”

Rebecca’s impact is now global. In August 2025, she was named one of TIME’s inaugural “Girls of the Year”, joining other extraordinary young innovators. She was also celebrated as a LEGO minifigure in TIME’s She Built That campaign, created to inspire girls to see themselves as builders and problem-solvers. (TIME, The Guardian)

Rebecca herself puts it simply: “If you see a problem you think you can fix, you can do something about it.”

Related Innovation: Sheltersuit

Rebecca’s invention connects with a bigger movement to rethink how we protect the most vulnerable through practical, wearable solutions. Dutch designer Bas Timmer created the Sheltersuit, a windproof and waterproof jacket that transforms into a sleeping bag, distributed free to people experiencing homelessness.

We interviewed Bas and shared the full story of how this life-changing design is helping thousands worldwide. Read the BrightVibes feature here:
👉 Sheltersuit: The Genius Wearable Homeless Shelter Solution