A young woman has been announced as the first recipient of no strings attached shares in a Morecambe company.

In July, Pete and Helen Stephenson, who own Morecambe Bay Chowder Co, launched a new initiative to give a young person aged 16 to 21 a one per cent share in the business for one year.

And they have now chosen the recipient is 21-year-old graduate Amanda Blundell from Morecambe.

Announcing the news on their Facebook page, Pete and Helen said: “Amanda's 21, a recent graduate, and already gives more to this town than most of us manage in a lifetime.

"She's a trustee for RISE and involved with the Poverty Truth Commission and E2M. The kind of work that rarely gets noticed but holds a place like Morecambe together.

“Ask her what she loves about Morecambe and she talks about the West End: people coming together, sharing skills, trying new things. And the sunsets over the Bay. Mostly, though, she talks about the people. That kindness she describes is exactly what she puts back in.

“She's now starting out as a photographer. So alongside one per cent of our profits for the coming year, we'll be supporting Amanda throughout the year to help her achieve her goals. And we'll be here for advice, introductions, or anything else that's useful along the way.

“And to everyone else who applied, thank you.

“Young people from around the bay put themselves forward and we read every word of every application. We won't pretend this was easy.

“There were people with ambitions to be chefs, plumbers, rail technicians, marketers, publicans, physicists, footballers. People already volunteering, already working, already building something. People who were honest about not knowing yet what they want, which takes more courage than having an answer ready.”