A SIXTH form business student at Hanley Castle High School is to take centre stage at a major trade event when she pitches her father's invention to buyers from a top national company. Eighteen-years-old Hannah Mather-Hutchinson has been given the task of promoting the Axiski at the Small Business Sunday winners showcase in Birmingham on March 19. She will push the idea and concept of the plastic ski-board cum sledge to the buyers of multi-million pound home and garden retailer Robert Dyas, which is owned by Dragons' Den entrepreneur Theo Paphitis.

The Axiski the brainchild of Darren Mather, who had the idea after experimenting with a couple of lengths of old laminate floorboard in his garden shed at Kempsey, near Worcester. He fitted two blocks of wood as foot grips and added a knotted piece of rope as a “hold-on”. “That was about four years ago,” he said. “We took it to a field at Severn Stoke and the response from other people sledging was fantastic. They all wanted one.” So Mr Mather went home, refined the design with his close friend Sean Heather and now the Axiski is being produced from a factory in Droitwich.

Daughter Hannah added: "I am really scared, but the response to the Axiski is always so positive, I should be fine. It is so different from the usual sledges, it just sells itself. It's ace".

Mr Mather explained: "Because the Axiski is so new, I am still working full time and unfortunately have to attend a board meeting on the same day as the business event , which is at Aston Villa football stadium. I really can't make it , so why not send my daughter? We are a new British company and just starting out.This is what it's all about when you start-up. I have every confidence Hannah will do a brilliant job."