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A product that has been designed to increase water consumption in schools has made a successful appearance on BBC Two's Dragons’ Den. The bottlecoolerpenholder by Concentrate Design keeps water bottles cool and stores pupils’ stationery. The product held its own on the programme in which budding inventors pitch their wares in front of a panel of entrepreneurial judges in the hope that one of the “dragons” will invest in their idea.
In the case of inventor Mark Champkins, telecommunications tycoon Peter Jones, who appeared in The Daily Telegraph’s list of top ten entrepreneurs aged under 40 last year, was so impressed with his bottle that he agreed to hand over his own cash and act as a mentor.
The desktop pencil holder that encourages children to guzzle water is made from thermal material neoprene, is roomy enough to house a 50cl water bottle, as well as pens and pencils, and comes in five colours with a name tag on the handle to appeal to youngsters.
Royal College of Art graduate Champkins set up his firm with the aim of designing products that would inspire pupils to learn. He has worked alongside schools to determine why children were failing to concentrate and felt uncomfortable in their classroom environments. His findings were bolstered by the World Health Organisation statistic that 2% dehydration can lead to a 20% drop in concentration and negatively impact on children’s ability to learn.
Having already signed a contract with department store John Lewis to stock his range, which also includes a school bag that transforms into a seat cushion, the inventor wanted to appear on the BBC show to gain some advice about how to develop the business. Since filming, Jones has shared some entries from his book of contacts to ensure that the right people are being approached, and also promised to offer more guidance as the company grows. As for Champkins, he will be concentrating on coming up with new, innovative designs to add to his practical, child-friendly product line.