Last updated 10:22, Thursday, 24 July 2008

ENTERPRISING students have picked up a national award.

A team of 10 from Ulverston Victoria High School were winners at the LionHeart Challenge final.

The Year Nine students won the award for the best presentation at St George’s Hall, in Liverpool.

The UVHS team competed against 13 other schools from around the country this month. In the final of the enterprise competition they were challenged to design a device that would be a major aid to crime prevention.

Their creation was a button which immediately contacts the emergency services. The product had a trendy design which could be attached as a keyring or to a bracelet.

Organisers from LionHeart Challenge said UVHS succeeded because they worked extremely well as a team,were determined and dedicated, and gave an outstanding presentation. The successful teams were; Sam Alty, Kathryn Brown, Stefan Buck, Jessica Carr, Olivia Coles Felicity Dobson, Michael Picton, Lizzie Reid, Haley Steur and Joshua Wilson.

The prize-winning group progressed through the competition from an event at their Springfield Road school, then the Cumbria final and the national final.

There were two UVHS teams at the county final. Other South Cumbria schools competing at the regional stage included The Lakes School, Troutbeck Bridge and St Bernard’s Catholic High School, Barrow.

The UVHS winners were led by maths teacher Graham Wharton, who is the school’s enterprise coordinator. They were also accompanied by English teacher Tammy Nicholls.

Ms Nicholls said: “We are very proud of the pupils. We are absolutely delighted that they have been successful. It is phenomenal.”