The Richardson family have scooped numerous awards since creating the clever device called SealStop
A farming family in Yorkshire is celebrating after an ingenious water-saving device they invented scooped a top award. Belle and Jason Richardson of Pocklington came up with SealStop out of a simple frustration – forgotten hoses and flooded yards.
And they say the clever device has come at just the right time to help households, gardeners and smallholders across the UK make every drop count, with the hosepipe ban still in place. The device connects to a standard hosepipe using a quick-connect fitting and literally plugs the gap between water usage and water wastage.
It took five years to perfect SealStop, and they have already turned down offers from two big companies to buy it, saying their invention is not motivated by profit. Now, having already won a number of awards, including the Theo Paphitis Small Business Sunday award, the UK Business awards start-up innovation customer satisfaction award, and the One to Watch University of York Enterprise Award, the family are clearing more space on the mantlepiece for their trophy collection for yet another gong.
It has won this year’s prestigious GIMA Innovators Seed Corn Fund award, and the family team behind SealStop were officially handed the award during the opening day of Glee 2025, the leading garden retail show, at Birmingham’s NEC.
Belle Richardson said: “We’re absolutely delighted to have won the GIMA Innovators’ Seed Corn Fund. It’s a wonderful acknowledgement of why we created SealStop in the first place.
“We were tired of wasting water whenever life got in the way, so we developed a solution that gives people time back and encourages smarter water use, especially during dry spells when conservation is vital. This support from GIMA will make a real difference, helping us grow faster, reach more people, and share the benefits of SealStop with the gardening community.”
Originally launched in the equestrian market, SealStop is now finding fans in gardens across the UK. Proudly manufactured in the region – with sons Oscar, eight, and six-year-old Seb heling to pack the products in the workshop – it’s also the first in a growing range, with rainwater harvesting tools currently in development.
Vicky Nuttall, GIMA Director, said: “It was a tough judging day as all the shortlisted entries had great merit and real commercial potential. It took us all day to decide on our eventual winner. SealStop stood out as a product that not only solves a problem that haunts gardeners and smallholders but also brings genuine environmental benefits. We are excited to support Isabelle and her team as they bring this innovation to a wider market.”
As the tenth recipient of the GIMA Innovators Seed Corn Fund, SealStop has received an extensive prize package designed to help fast-track its growth. This includes free exhibition space at Glee, the UK’s leading garden retail trade show, alongside up to £4,000 of tailored support covering design, development, consultancy, manufacturing or marketing.
The prize also offers a free half-page advert in the GIMA New Product Digest publication, twelve months of free GIMA membership, one year’s ACID (Anti Copying in Design) membership, and ongoing PR support.
SealStop works by placing the hose into a trough, barrel or container and walk away. It then shuts off the flow at the right moment, preventing overflows and wasted water with no need for timers, electronics or constant supervision.
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