A GROUP of talented young scientists from Bournemouth are hoping their invention will help stem the need for women and children in developing countries to carry water on their shoulders.

Calling themselves Splash, the team of four Year 9 girls from Avonbourne College have just won a STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) competition with their all-terrain water carrier invention.

The device has been designed by the girls – Daria Zglinksa, Esther Anderson, Jordan Hardwick and Becky Rowland – to help make the transportation of water far easier for women and children in developing countries.

The girls from Splash demonstrated their water carrier at a competition organised by the Bournemouth Soroptimist group and held at Bournemouth University.

They saw off teams from schools across Dorset to win the top prize and are now hoping to persuade charities to fund the development of their water carrier.

Team member, Becky Rowland, said: “We were delighted that our water carrier was awarded the top prize.

“The competition inspired us to come up with an invention that we believe could really help to make a huge difference to the lives of women and children in developing countries.

“Our aim now is to get funding to develop this prototype and hopefully one day see it in use, and manufactured, in poorer countries.”

The Bournemouth Soroptimist group stages its annual Celebrating Science competition to encourage more budding women scientists.

This STEM-based challenge is for teams of girls in Years 9 and 10 at local schools and calls on them to design, build and cost a project to help people in the poorest parts of the world.

Executive head teacher of Avonbourne College, Debbie Godfrey-Phaure, said: “The girls have worked wonderfully as a team to find a solution to a real life problem which could improve the lives of so many people.”