A gallery in Maidstone Museum was packed for the presentation of awards in the inaugural Heritage Design Challenge. The competition, backed by MMF and devised by its education trustee Janette Lloyd, encouraged young people from schools across Kent, to create a product inspired by an artefact they saw during a Museum visit. 

In a Dragons Den-style presentation, the young people pitched it as a product that could be sold in the Museum Shop. Some 40 entries were received, with 14 finalists and eight winners and runners-up. The successful entrants received their awards at the ceremony on June 21 from MMF President Sir Robert Worcester who praised the “amazing” talent on view. The winners each received £200 to develop their product. 

An exhibition of the  products, including a model kit of Maidstone Museum (winner in the senior category) and a Japanese Shoji Lantern (junior winner), is on display in Maidstone Museum until mid-July and will then transfer to the Friends’ Shop in Fremlin Walk.