90 cars lined-up on the grid for the 2014 Gathering of GoblinsGreenpower Education Trust’s biggest entry for 9-11 year olds race categorySt Mary’s C of E Primary School, Clymping, crowned overall winners
Charitable organisation Greenpower Education Trust held the 2014 Gathering of Goblins at Goodwood, on Sunday 13 July, with a record number of entries coming from 90 primary schools from all across the UK.
The Greenpower IET Formula Goblin race category, for 9-11 year olds, encourages young aspiring engineers to gain hands-on experience of how to successfully design, build and race an electric car.
Running for almost ten years, the Gathering of Goblins has now become the biggest event on the Greenpower calendar. The IET Formula Goblin category is the Trust’s junior challenge and the Goblin sustainably-powered single seater cars are supplied in kit form to participating schools, with all the parts, along with a step by step manual.
However, it is down to the individual teams to be creative and come up with the bodywork design whilst learning about the practicality of aerodynamics. The estimated build time of a Goblin is 15 hours, requiring basic hand tools only.
On Sunday, the overall winners of the Goblin competition were St Mary’s C of E Primary School, Clymping, with the school collecting a total of six trophies at the famous Goodwood Motor Circuit in Chichester.
As well as trophies for the top three finishers in each driver challenge – including slalom, drag and sprint races – among the other award categories were those schools commended for the Best Bodywork, Greenest Bodywork and the Best Presented Team.
Greenpower Education Trust chief executive, Jeremy Way, said: “It was an absolutely fantastic race day, the sun came out for us, and there were around a thousand children taking part in what has been the biggest grid at any Greenpower event to-date.
“The children participating are a credit to their schools, and we are delighted to now have so many entries for the Gathering of Goblins. Our main aim via the charity is to help the next generation of British engineers develop their technological know-how in a fun and competitive environment.”
FULL RESULTS
Slalom race
1st Newick C of E Primary School2nd River Beach Primary School, Littlehampton3rd St Mary’s C of E Primary School, Clymping
Drag races
1st St Philips Catholic Primary School, Arundel2nd St Mary’s C of E Primary School, Clymping3rd Four Marks C of E Primary School, near Alton
Sprint racing
1st Dorset house School2nd St Mary’s C of E Primary School, Clymping3rd River beach Primary school, Littlehampton
Lap of Champions
1st St Mary’s C of E Primary School, Clymping2nd St Mary’s C of E Primary School, Clymping3rd River Beach Primary School, Littlehampton
Best Presented Team
Rose Hill School
Best Bodywork
The March C of E Primary School, Chichester
Greenest Bodywork
Rustington community Primary School
Spirit of Greenpower
St Mary’s C of E Primary School, Clymping
Portfolio Award
Rustington Community Primary School
Overall Winners
St Mary’s C of E Primary School, Clymping
The Greenpower Education Trust charity was established in 1999 to encourage youngsters to follow careers in sustainable engineering and technology and will have run a total of 25 races in the UK during 2014. There are three classes to choose from and the age groups range from junior level to graduate standard.
More than 500 schools participate in Greenpower throughout the year, with many integrating it into their core educational delivery programme and more than 9,000 students choose to spend their free time competing in the various series. Teams use their technical know-how to optimise the performance and endurance of the stock Greenpower components, an electric motor and battery pack, within the specified regulations.
Greenpower hosts its National Final at Goodwood Motor Circuit every October, which is a free event typically attended by up to 10,000 people. Greenpower currently has sponsorship opportunities available to appropriate companies to help support in its objective of growing participation in the UK to 1,000 schools by 2016.