A 15-year-old pupil from Richmond has won a national physics competition after coming up with an innovative way to make better use of space in people's homes.

Hilary, a student at Grey Court School, won the Age 15 category in the Institute of Physics' Eurekas competition with her project, The Space Above Us!, which uses a pulley system to create safe, accessible overhead storage.

The idea is designed to help people living in smaller homes by making use of unused ceiling space to store items such as bicycles, seasonal decorations and other bulky belongings, freeing up valuable floor space while reducing the need to lift heavy objects.

In her competition entry, Hilary used her own illustrations and diagrams to explain how the pulley system works and how a simple principle of physics could provide a practical, low-cost solution to a growing housing challenge.

Judges praised the project for applying physics to a real-world problem in an imaginative and accessible way.

Hilary said the idea was inspired by her experiences growing up in Hong Kong, where high population density means many people live in smaller homes.

She said: "I'm originally from Hong Kong where the population density is so much higher and the housing problem is so bad. So, I thought of the pulley idea, and everything just clicked.

"We're having a loft conversion at the moment and that might have inspired me too though!

"I thought this would be a low-cost solution – which is important as things are so expensive now. I'd love to install my own pulleys at some point at home. I'd be storing my lovely plushies – because I have so many of them – and it would also be decorating my room with them.

"Winning this prize has been like a fever-dream: I still can't believe it!"

Hilary's mother, Sandy, said the family were "so proud" of her achievement and praised Grey Court School for supporting her throughout the competition while she prepared for her mock GCSEs.

The Eurekas competition challenges young people across the UK and Ireland to answer the question: "How can physics make your home ready for the future?" Entrants can submit projects in a range of formats, including videos, artwork, models, presentations and written work.

Sarah Bakewell, Head of Diversity and Inclusion at the Institute of Physics, commented: "Hilary's entry was one of those 'wow' entries, when the idea put forward is such simple physics but a definite Eureka moment.

"We loved the video she created to explain the brilliant concept, and we hope others can see Hilary's passion for physics and all the everyday challenges it can solve."

READ MORE: First Class Learning Richmond & Ham encourages parents to look beyond the 11+ as summer tuition begins.

We want to provide Richmond with more and more clickbait-free local news. To do that, we need a loyal newsletter following. Help us survive and sign up for our free weekly newsletter by clicking the link HERE.