An amphibian bike, a foot-and-toe cleaner and sing-along cutlery were among the innovative products that powered the East London Inventors Club (ELIC) to an impressive twelve medals at this year’s British Invention Show, the UK’s premier showcase event for inventors held at London’s Alexandra Palace on 21 October.

 

East London Inventors Club is supported by Knowledge Dock, the enterprise development and support service of the University of East London (UEL), and holds its monthly meetings at UEL’s Docklands campus. It provides a forum for inventors to meet like-minded individuals, share their expertise and experience and access a network of support services.

 

Club members picked up two gold, four silver and six bronze medals, a haul that improved on last year’s total of ten. Chairman Terry Jennings, a veteran Ilford-based inventor, said: “I’m absolutely delighted our members have won so many medals; to be honest, I never dreamt we’d ever improve on last year’s success. This wonderful achievement is testament to ELIC’s ability to help our members get their creations onto the market.

 

“Not only have we won a record number of awards, we’ve also received a phenomenal amount of press and TV coverage. We’ve had members on BBC News and Sky News, and my invention even made it on to GMTV, where viewers had to try and guess what it was supposed to do.”

 

Terry, who will be appearing on Sky One’s The Big Idea on 26 October, won a bronze invention award for his ‘Foot and Toe Cleaner’.

 

New ELIC member Tony Brien, of Essex, was among this year’s winners. Tony won a gold (invention) and silver (design) medal for his invention, 'La Bumpa' – protective headgear for young swimmers and toddlers, designed to reduce the impact of falls and collisions on the slippery surfaces at swimming pools.

 

Tony, who came up with the idea after his daughter had suffered a fall at their local pool, said: “I still can’t believe that I’ve had such tremendous success; my sole intention was to exhibit the product, so to come away with two medals and receive so much media attention, leading to enquiries from all over the globe, is truly amazing.

 

“It just goes to show what a fantastic forum ELIC is for inventors to develop their ideas. Every member brings a wealth of knowledge, expertise and, most of all, enthusiasm for invention and innovation. There are no hidden agendas or conflicts of interest; everyone genuinely wants everyone else to succeed.” 

 

The other ELIC award-winners at this year’s British Invention Show were: Mike Keenan, gold medal (invention), for his fire-retardant application; Hannah Mensah, sliver (innovation and design), for her sing-along cutlery; Charles Sebre, silver (design), for his modular roofing construction product; Cintra Jaggan-Vince, bronze (invention), for her Velcro button dressing aid; Stefan Knoppik, bronze (invention), for his balloon clip invention, Paul Rochester, bronze (invention), for his innovative windscreen protector; and Melvin Wright, bronze (invention and design), for his amphibian bike.

 

ELIC members benefit from the wealth of expertise, resources and facilities housed at UEL’s Knowledge Dock Centre, including the Product Design Lab and the Fabric Print and Design Bureau. Experts are also available to help inventors develop the more commercial aspects of their inventions, including business plans and intellectual property rights.

 

Martin Chan, Communications Manager at Knowledge Dock, said: “ELIC’s success is entirely down to its members’ persistence, enthusiasm and tenacity. The club is run by people who are passionate about the world of invention, and, to date, over a quarter of ELIC members have brought their concept to market”.

 

For further information on ELIC, including details of upcoming meetings, please visit www.eastlondoninventorsclub.com

 

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Contact: Patrick Wilson 020 8223 2061 / 07951 797 975

 

The University of East London (UEL) is now a global learning community, with 20,000 students from over 120 countries world-wide. Our vision is to achieve recognition, both nationally and internationally, as a successful and inclusive regional university proud of our diversity, committed to new modes of learning which focus on students and enhance their employability, and renowned for our contribution to social, cultural and economic development, especially through our research and scholarship. We have a strong track-record in widening participation and working with industry.  www.uel.ac.uk