Two Monmouth pupils chosen by David Davies MP as his constituency winners in a national school manufacturing competition have attended a special awards ceremony at the Houses of Parliament.
Danielle Browne and Georgia Foster, who attend Haberdashers’ Monmouth School for Girls, won the local round of the We Made It! competition with their joint idea for a hand operated kettle.
Mr Davies asked youngsters aged 13-16 to design a brand new gadget, gizmo, toy or tool as part of the UK-wide initiative, which aimed to get young people thinking about careers in manufacturing.
Danielle and Georgia’s concept design, created during a Design Technology project in HMSG, caught the MP’s eye and was one of 32 shortlisted entries submitted to a panel of manufacturing experts. Although the girls did not make it through as one of the final six national winners, the judges were extremely impressed with their product.
Both students, aged 14, were invited along to an exclusive reception and awards ceremony in Westminster on 29th January, where they met with Mr Davies and were formally congratulated as constituency winners.
“For Danielle and Georgia to have reached the national final of this competition is a real achievement that they should be proud of,” said Mr Davies.
“Their design for Pumpit, a hand operated kettle, is original as it’s powered by a simple flywheel and does not use any mains supply.
“I hope We Made It! has inspired them and others to consider a future career in the manufacturing sector.”
Sean McCluskey, Design Technology teacher at HMSG, added: “It was a fantastic opportunity for the girls to work on a project and gain a real insight into how design and innovation may lead to exciting future career opportunities.
“They were extremely grateful to David Davies for hosting them at the Houses of Parliament on what was a truly memorable day.”