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Lighting the way with St Luke’s Hospice

Across Plymouth this summer, light is bringing people together.

Through St Luke’s Hospice’s Guiding Lights trail, businesses, artists and communities have come together to raise awareness and funds for the vital care and support the hospice provides to people and families across Plymouth, South West Devon and East Cornwall.

Plessey is proud to be part of that story alongside the Plymouth Manufacturers’ Group. Designed by the talented Mrs Murals, our lighthouse is now on display outside the National Marine Aquarium, where it joins more than 40 unique sculptures forming the city-wide trail.

The design celebrates the breadth of manufacturing across our region through three distinct layers representing the sea, the land and the air. Alongside showcasing the industries that help shape Plymouth, the artwork also encourages visitors to look more closely at our relationship with the natural world.

Ahead of the public launch, Plessey joined fellow sponsors, artists and supporters at a special preview event, celebrating the creativity behind each sculpture and the partnerships that have brought Guiding Lights to life.

Engineering the future in light means more than advancing technology. It means leading with purpose, creating opportunities for growth and building trusted partnerships that make a lasting difference. Guiding Lights is a powerful example of those values in action, bringing businesses, artists and communities together behind a shared purpose.

If you’re exploring Plymouth this summer, we’d encourage you to download the Guiding Lights trail app, discover the incredible artwork across the city and, if you’re able, make a donation to St Luke’s Hospice. Every visit, every conversation and every contribution helps support the hospice’s invaluable work for local people and their families.

Get involved with Plymouth Makes

We are also inspiring the next generation of makers as part of Guiding Lights.

As part of the Plymouth Manufacturers’ Group’s Plymouth Makes – Mini Makes competition, young people are invited to design and ‘manufacture’ their own product inspired by the trail. Open to children aged 0–18, the competition celebrates creativity, problem-solving and engineering, encouraging participants to explore how ideas are transformed into something tangible.

You can find out more about the competition and how to enter by visiting the Plymouth Makes Mini Makes page.

Celebrating Armed Forces Week

As Armed Forces Week came to a close, Plessey was proud to attend Plymouth Armed Forces Day and show support for service personnel, veterans, reservists, and families. For us, it was also an opportunity to discuss careers, transferable skills, and futures after service.

We design and build photonic devices and systems that help shape the future of computing. That requires technical precision, resilience, teamwork, and a commitment to continuous improvement. These are capabilities that military experience helps build.

One example is Charlie Watt, Manufacturing Director.

Charlie served in the Royal Navy for nine years, joining as a Marine Engineering Artificer Apprentice and leaving as Chief Petty Officer. After completing further studies, he built his career at Plessey and progressed into senior leadership.

Reflecting on his career, Charlie said: “General skills from my time in the Navy were invaluable – discipline, attitude, leadership, people skills and, of course, a sense of humour.”

Charlie’s experience reflects a broader story across Plessey.

Colleagues with military backgrounds now work across manufacturing, operations, facilities, engineering, and leadership roles. Their experience brings valuable skills and qualities that strengthen how we work every day.

The day also created valuable opportunities to strengthen local connections, including discussions with civic leaders about Plessey’s role in Plymouth’s advanced engineering sector.

Thank you to everyone who visited the Plessey team at Plymouth Armed Forces Day.

And thank you to all those who serve, have served, and continue to support the Armed Forces community.