Ricardo employee wins Young Craftsman of the Year

The 18-year-old from Pulborough wowed the judging panel again with a stunning series of decorated wood turned hollow forms.

He left the Weald Sixth Form College last year and is now an apprentice at Ricardo Engineering in Shoreham.

Second place went to a tap that could provide electricity as well as water, created by a student at The Angmering School.

Charlie Brown was awarded the Design and Technology Young Craftsman of the Year Award at the South of England Show for his household water turbine, which could adapt to an existing house pipe network.

Jon McNamara, DT teacher and subject leader for key stage four and five technology, said: “I am very proud of all his hard work designing a water turbine which works in line with the water main, so that when you turn a tap on it generates electricity.”

The sixth-former is planning to go on to Surrey University to study chemistry.

Charlie said: “It is a huge privilege to be recognised for this prestigious award and especially in an area I am enthused and passionate about. Huge thanks go to Mr McNamara for the help he has given me throughout the project.”

Third place went to Polly Henderson, winner of the textiles section, from Burgess Hill School for Girls. She created a men’s jacket, inspired by the beautiful and endangered reptile species

Visitors to the South of England Show over the weekend were able to see all the entries and prizes were presented to the winners on Saturday.

Organisers said the competition was at the heart of the South of England Show and demonstrated skills, diversity and technical expertise across five categories – wood, metal including jewellery, textiles, ceramics, and design and technology.

The judging panel was looking for the ‘wow’ factor and considered the concept, design, use of materials, artistic merit, function, proportion, technical skill and finish.

Sarah Peay, committee chairman, said: “Once again, the standard for this unique competition has been incredibly high this year and we are delighted to have received 168 entries from youngsters aged 14 to 21 who live or study in Berkshire, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Kent and Surrey.

“Celebrating ‘the next generation’ is something the Young Craftsman of the Year competition has done for the last 29 years and it fully embraces two of the South of England Agricultural Society’s objectives, namely to promote crafts and skills and to encourage young people to extend themselves and produce work of the highest standard.”

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