COLLEGE students have taken part in a competition alongside Halesowen company SkateHut to design and manufacture a new skateboard.

First year Halesowen College graphics student Yang Hang, aged 17, took the competition title ahead of Ellie Lees and Karolina Kostrzewska and SkateHut will now manufacture the winning design meaning the Kidderminster teen will see her skateboard idea become a reality.

The brief for the designs was to make people aware of an issue that the students felt deeply about.

Their self-selected themes included plastic waste in the oceans, animal experimentation and equality and diversity.

BTEC course leader Gillian Dunkerley said: “It was fantastic for the students to present their ideas to a real-world client. Their concepts are great and show that young people have real concerns about the world they live in.”

Amy Lou Holland, from SkateHut, added: “We love working with the local community and the student’s ideas were amazing. Many of them would work commercially as a real board.”

SkateHut built suspense around the competition by showcasing the ideas of 26 students on social media and inviting the public to comment. The designs will be showcased at Halesowen College’s end of year ‘Summer Show’.