Students have been taking part in a “hackathon” to explore careers in computer programming, design and marketing.

The “hackathon challenge”, organised by financial technology company theidol.com in Penrith, involved 11 pupils from schools across Carlisle, Eden and West Cumbria.

The students worked in two teams to overcome a series of themed problems by devising technical solutions.

As part of the solution they also had to design and create a marketing campaign.

Their solutions were then judged by the team at theidol.com.

The winning team, Tanana, chose to focus on creating a solution designed to decrease the negative psychological effects of social media overuse.

They created an app to reward users with vouchers for taking part in outdoor activity.

Paul Tyson, managing director of theidol.com, said: “The level of thought that went into each project and the number of brilliant ideas being discussed was fantastic to see.

“We are absolutely committed to leading by example and inspiring the workforce of tomorrow, so raising the aspirations of and supporting homegrown talent at such a crucial age of their development allows us to build formative relationships that over time create exciting career opportunities.”

The event, which took place last Monday, also gave students the chance to meet staff from a similar background who had made a career in programming.

It was run in partnership with the Hello Future, Cumbria Collaborative Outreach Programme.

The programme is led by the University of Cumbria and designed to help young people learn about different routes into higher education.

The programme works in partnership with a variety of organisations to run workshops and events.

Lisa Jackson, programme manager for the Hello Future programme, said: “It’s important for young people to understand that there are many opportunities available on their doorstep and we hope that events, such as this, open their eyes to future possibilities as well as supporting the future skills agenda in Cumbria.”