A host of talented young furniture designers have been carving a name for themselves with quality entries for the Chilterns Enterprise Gateway Award.

Winner was Mark Williamson who walked away with a cheque for £250 at a ceremony at Buckinghamshire Chilterns University College High Wycombe Campus. The competition was set up to reverse the trend of decline in traditional industries.

Judging was a nail-biting time for winner Mark Williamson and runner up Martin Humphreys. Mark made a carved platter and Martin made a magazine rack.

They are pictured here with Phillip Koomen, designer furniture manufacturer who ran an exhibition at Henley Rowing Museum highlighting the use of timber which inspired the competition, Susan Kurr, director of Chilterns Enterprise Gateway and Tom Dean its chairman.

The Chilterns Enterprise Gateway was set up to encourage craftsmen and to boost their businesses and broadcast the message that there is room for their specialist skills in the modern world as well as to provide a supportive environment allowing furniture makers and designers to develop their fledgling businesses.

The Chiltern Enterprise Gateway project was made possible through an exciting new initiative developed jointly by SEEDA and Business Link.

Currently situated at Orchard Farm, Bottle Lane, Littlewick Green, Maidenhead, the organisation has primarily been set up to attract furniture makers, although it is also hoped to bring in related crafts such as metal working and computer- aided design specialists.