How A Yorkshire Farming Family Invention Called SealStop Is Saving Water And Winning Major UK Awards

It's a familiar story for many people. You pop the hose into a water trough, paddling pool, or even a big bucket to get a job done. The phone rings, someone's at the door, or the kids need something. Next thing you know, the garden is a mini-lake, and gallons of precious water have gone straight down the drain. It's frustrating, wasteful, and, with hosepipe ban rules popping up more often, it's a problem that needs a fix.

Well, a farming family from Yorkshire got so fed up with this exact situation that they decided to do something about it. They created an ingenious invention, and it's not just saving water; it's also scooping up some serious awards.

From a simple idea to a clever invention

Meet Belle and Jason Richardson, a farming family from Pocklington in Yorkshire. They experienced the classic problem of forgotten hoses and flooded yards one too many times. Instead of just sighing and mopping up, they had a lightbulb moment. What if there was a device that could shut the water off automatically, without any faff? No timers, no batteries, no complicated electronics. Just a simple, clever bit of kit that does the job for you. And so, the idea for SealStop was born.

But an idea is one thing; turning it into a real product is another. It took them five whole years to get it just right. This wasn't some get-rich-quick scheme. In fact, the family have apparently turned down offers from two big companies wanting to buy their invention. For them, it's not about the money. It's about solving a real-world problem for households, gardeners, and smallholders across the UK. Their dedication is clearly paying off, as their clever invention is making waves.

So how does SealStop actually work?

The beauty of this invention is its simplicity. You don't need a degree in engineering to figure it out. The SealStop device connects to a standard hosepipe with a normal quick-connect fitting - the kind most people already have. Then, you just place the hose into whatever you're filling, whether it's a water barrel, a trough, or any other container. That's it. You can literally walk away and forget about it.

The device is purely mechanical. As the water level rises in the container, it lifts a float inside the SealStop. When the water reaches the perfect level, the float triggers a valve that snaps the water flow shut. No overflow, no wasted water, and no soggy garden. It's a genius solution that "plugs the gap between water usage and water wastage," especially when every drop counts during a hosepipe ban. It does its job without needing supervision or any tricky electronics.

The awards just keep coming

When you create something that genuinely helps people and the planet, folks tend to notice. The Richardson family are going to need a bigger mantelpiece soon. Before their latest win, they'd already picked up some impressive awards, including:

• The Theo Paphitis Small Business Sunday award
• The UK Business awards start-up innovation customer satisfaction award
• The One to Watch University of York Enterprise Award

And now, they've added a really big one to the collection. On 12 Oct 2025, at Glee 2025, the UK's top garden retail show in Birmingham, they were officially handed the prestigious GIMA Innovators Seed Corn Fund award. GIMA, which stands for the Garden Industry Manufacturer's Association, runs this competition to find the next big thing in gardening, and this year, SealStop was it.

Belle Richardson (also known as Isabelle) was thrilled. She 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."

A product with real environmental benefits

The judges at GIMA had a tough decision to make, but SealStop stood out. Vicky Nuttall, the GIMA Director, explained their choice:

"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."

That praise highlights the two-for-one benefit of the device. It solves a personal headache while also helping the planet by conserving water. Originally designed for the equestrian market to fill horse troughs, SealStop is now a must-have gadget for gardeners all over the UK. The fact that this device delivers genuine environmental benefits without complicating life for users is a massive win. It's a small change that can make a big difference to water conservation efforts nationwide.

What's next for this Yorkshire family?

Winning the GIMA Innovators Seed Corn Fund award is a huge boost. The prize package is designed to help the family's business grow. It includes free exhibition space at Glee, thousands of pounds worth of business support, and a year's free membership to GIMA.

Crucially, it also includes a year's membership to ACID (Anti Copying in Design), an organisation that helps protect clever ideas like SealStop from being copied. This protection is vital for a small business with a unique invention.

This is still very much a family affair. The product is manufactured right there in the region, and sons Oscar and Seb even help pack the boxes in the workshop. With the support from the GIMA Innovators Seed Corn Fund, Belle and her family can get SealStop into more homes and gardens. And this is just the beginning.

They are already working on a whole range of new products, including tools for rainwater harvesting, showing their commitment to smarter water use. This farming family from Yorkshire proves that a simple solution to a common problem can make a world of difference.