The Fabricon Foundation has been holding a design competition with local  specialist technology college Audenshaw High School in Manchester. The key  objective of the competition was to identify the next generation of engineering  design talent. The competitors were Year 9 students, boys aged 13 and 14. The  students were asked to overcome ‘grip’ challenges faced by the elderly and less  able by creating a product that will make their everyday life easier.

For the final selection process Fabricon arranged a ‘Dragon’s Den’  style session within the boardroom of its offices on Friday July 10 2009 at  10.30am to select the overall winner and 2nd and 3rd runners up. The Dragon’s  Den style judges included Mark Bushdyhan, founder of the Fabricon Foundation,  Ruth Amos, winner of the Young Engineer for Great Briatin and Alan Rennie, Head  of Engineering at Lancaster University.

The three Year 9 finalists has rehearsed their presentation with their  tutors but were nervous as they entered the den. However, all three managed to  impress the judges with their design.

Amos said ‘The quality of entries was of such a high standard that we hav a  very hard task choosing a winner.’

The winner is 13 year old Leigh Murray from Droylsden with a device that enables the disabled and elderly to easliy grip household objects such as a  sweeping brush or garden rake.

Bushdyhan commented, ‘I though the winning product was simple but  effective. The simplicity allowed for it to be used by many different people in  many different ways.’

The winner was announced at the Year 9 assembly in front of 200 other  pupils. The prizes - a laptop, digital camera and IPod touch - were presented by  local Member of Parliament, Andrew Gwynne. The MP said ‘The Fabricon Foundation is a fantastic idea, the competition  helped local young people understand what life could be like after school.’

As Leigh Murray stepped up to collect his prize he looked genuinely  surprised by his success.

Ruth said ‘Leigh seemed shocked but very happy, I see enormous potential  for the product. It is such a commercially viable product.’

Allan Rennie added, ‘For these school pupils, the opportunity to conceive  and develop a product, with direct input from the industry, will be such a  confidence booster. I doubt that there were actually any losers in this  competition, as everyone involved will have benefited in some way.’

The Fabricon Group will now assess the winning products for commercial  production. The Fabricon Foundation will be launching a new inter-schools  competition in September 2009.”