A TEAM of apprentices from GSK Ulverston have won the Brathay Apprentice Challenge 2017.

The team from the Ulverston site of the global pharmaceutical company have been crowned Apprentice Team of the Year at the finals of the prestigious national contest.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Massive congratulations national champions <a href="https://twitter.com/GSKUlverston">@GSKUlverston</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/apprentices?src=hash">#apprentices</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BAC17?src=hash">#BAC17</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Brathay">@Brathay</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cumbria?src=hash">#Cumbria</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/STEM?src=hash">#STEM</a> <a href="https://t.co/3J6bPrS5Hy">pic.twitter.com/3J6bPrS5Hy</a></p>— Natalie Chapples (@nchapplesNWEM) <a href="https://twitter.com/nchapplesNWEM/status/875010412093296641">June 14, 2017</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

The nine young people impressed the judges in the team challenges at the finals held at Brathay Trust's Windermere headquarters this week.

GSK Ulverston was one of eight finalists in the competition which is supported by the National Apprenticeship Service.

The finalists have spread the word about apprenticeships, visiting almost 500 schools and youth groups to talk about the benefits of earning while you learn on an apprenticeship.

The teams also hosted more than 120 business events to talk to potential employers about offering apprenticeships, recruiting almost 400 organisations to start hiring apprentices.

As part of the challenge, the GSK Ulverston team launched an emotional asthma campaign as a legacy to Josh West, an Ulverston boy and talented footballer, who died last year after suffering an asthma attack just ahead of his 12th birthday.

The campaign is a long-term project which continues to spread vital messages about the condition far and wide.

The team has held business breakfasts with local employers and worked with secondary and primary age pupils.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BAC17?src=hash">#BAC17</a> national final winners <a href="https://twitter.com/GSKUlverston">@GSKUlverston</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/apprentices?src=hash">#apprentices</a> and their GSK support team amazing effort <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/teamwork?src=hash">#teamwork</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Brathay">@Brathay</a> <a href="https://t.co/JPKCFQiV9B">pic.twitter.com/JPKCFQiV9B</a></p>— Natalie Chapples (@nchapplesNWEM) <a href="https://twitter.com/nchapplesNWEM/status/875011372207280129">June 14, 2017</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Terry Sandham, GSK Ulverston apprentice programme manager, said: "I am so proud of each and every one of them. They have put their hearts and souls into this. "We are so honoured with legacy we are helping to create for Josh West."

Joe Hambley, a GSK Ulverston mechanical engineering apprentice and team chairman for the Brathay Apprentice Challenge, said: "I want to congratulate everyone. Hopefully this will show how strong apprenticeships are in Cumbria."

He added the asthma awareness campaign has "legs to make it travel" and that the legacy for Josh West and helping save a life is "better than any trophy".

Phil Wilson, GSK Ulverston site director, said: "They are all absolute stars."