A TALENTED student from Gwynedd has been recognised for an invention he has created to help people with arthritis.

Harri Tulliver from Llanrug, won the AS level prize at the 2018 WJEC Innovation Awards held at the National Assembly.

The 18-year-old, who attends Ysgol Brynrefail in Caernarfon, created a disability aid designed to help people with arthritis open jars and cans.

Harri says he really enjoyed learning new skills and solving problems whilst working on the project.

"Even though arthritis effects a lot of people, when I was researching for my project, I found there weren’t many products on the market designed to help with their day-to-day lives," he said.

"One of the biggest issues people with arthritis face is just being able to open bottles and jars – they find sharp movements painful and it can be difficult for them to wrap their fingers around lids.

"My invention is designed to help them open jars, plastic bottles, glass bottles and cans by gripping them and re-distributing force so less pressure is put on painful joints.

"It feels fantastic to win an award for this work. It’s inspired me to work even harder on my A Level project, which is a safety device for people using ladders in DIY and construction."

Harri says that, once he has finished school, he is hoping to study Mechanical Engineering at either Bangor or Cardiff University and says he wants to carry on working projects to "make peoples' lives easier."

The Innovation Awards, in partnership with the Welsh Government, recognises the most original project work by WJEC students studying Design and Technology, with awards for GCSE, AS level and A level work.

Students, parents and teachers attended the awards ceremony at the Senedd to see the creations, speak with the winners about their projects and celebrate the success of those shortlisted.

Creations included hobbit houses for hedgehogs, a study desk designed for ultimate space optimisation and a ‘Festival Friend’ camping security device.

Alongside their award, each winner was presented with a certificate recognising their achievement, and prizes of up to £250.