THE winners of a competition challenging teenage students to get creative during lockdown have been announced.

In April the Cotswold Challenge was launched inviting students to send in their artwork, photographs, poems, stories, inventions or business ideas, with the chance to win a cash prize.

The challenge was set up to ensure 15 to 19-year-olds, in school years 11, 12 and 13, were put to the test while the schools and colleges were closed.

Entries flooded in and the nearly 500 submissions were judged by famous judges Lady Bathurst, Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen, Tessa Bremner and Adam Henson, who picked the winners.

'View thru window’ by Charlotte Evers won the Art and Design Challenge, 'Toaster Poetry’ by Agata Spasik won the creative writing challenge while ‘Bird Box’ - ergonomically designed bird boxes - by Sam Groves won the Innovation and Entrepreneurial Thinking category.

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Meanwhile six teenagers from Chipping Campden School picked up prizes. Among them were Ella McClenahan, 16, who won second prize in the Art and Design Challenge for her inspiring artwork entitled Black Lives Matter and, in the creative writing category, Charlotte Minett, 16 also won second prize for her piece entitled Jackson and Olivia.

Bestselling author, Kevin Wignall, one of the celebrity judges, said of Charlotte Minett’s creative writing entry: “Impressive for someone so young to have the confidence to write simply and concisely, not falling back on long words or too much description.

"She captures the nature of grief and bereavement incredibly well. You could imagine reading a novel by this writer.”

Both Ella and Charlotte received a cheque for £300 and a certificate.

And Ben Harwood, aged 16 from Moreton-in-Marsh, received a highly commended certificate and book token in the Art and Design Challenge for his pictures of a mountain lake and squirrel.

Chris Roberts, who helped organise the event added that it was: “An initiative I don’t believe has been done anywhere else in the country – a first for the Cotswolds and Gloucestershire.”

To see a full list of winners and judges’ comments visit thecotswoldchallenge.com.