An ex-youth offender beat off nine other finalists to win a prestigious business award along with £17,000 of business support.

Anurah Farrell won the Urban Voice UK “Project Your Talent 4 Business” award for developing a device for carrying multiple sanitary bins by hand.

The invention dramatically reduces the number of trips staff have to make to deliver washroom and facility services, and has already proved a hit with facilities management companies.

The 24-year old won the prize after completing nine months of intensive mentoring on the Street Elite “training for work” programme, which is delivered at the Kingshall Leisure Centre in Lower Clapton Road by youth charity Cricket for Change and housebuilder The Berkeley Group.

The programme offers intensive support to those often living on the edge of gangs and criminality, helping them gain the confidence, qualifications and self-esteem needed to get into education or work.

Mr Farrell, who is now enrolled in the Peter Jones Enterprise Academy at Westminster Kingsway College, said the Street Elite attributes his success to the help he was given by the programme.

He said: “The engaging support that was shown to me through Street Elite was very empowering for me at that particular time in my life.”

“I would be saying to people, that if they would like to achieve anything then just try and fail and try again but always seek help and advice along the way because there are always people willing to help like Street Elite.

He added: “You just have to be willing to help your-self first.”