ROLLS-ROYCE SUPPORTS LOCAL SCHOOLCHILDREN AT GREENPOWER ‘GATHERING OF THE GOBLINS’

• Rolls-Royce Motor Cars continues its longstanding support for The
  March CE Primary School at the 2024 Greenpower ‘Gathering of Goblins’
• Children in Years 5 and 6 designed and built four electric racing
  cars with support and guidance from Rolls-Royce Designers, Interns
  and Apprentices
• Every year, more than 10,000 school and university students take
  part in the Greenpower national competitions aimed at encouraging
  young people to pursue their interests in STEM subjects
• National final will be held at Goodwood Motor Circuit, close to
  the Home of Rolls-Royce, on 30 June 2024

“The Greenpower #‘Gathering of Goblins’ is a fantastic
event that aims to fire young people’s imagination and bring STEM
subjects to life through the excitement of motorsport. We’ve
supported teams from The March CE Primary School over many years,
with children working alongside our Designers and Apprentices to
design and build some truly amazing racing cars. For us, this is
both a link to our heritage – the marque first established its
reputation as ‘the best car in the world’ through motor trials and
racing – and a vital investment in the long-term future of
engineering and manufacturing in the UK. We wish the teams every success.”

Andrew Ball, Head of Corporate Relations and Heritage,
Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars has continued its longstanding
partnership with The March CE Primary School in preparation for this
year’s Greenpower ‘Gathering of Goblins’, the UK’s premier event for
electric-powered racing cars designed, built, and driven by schoolchildren.

The competition is run by Greenpower Education Trust, a UK-based
charity whose mission is to enthuse young people about science and
engineering by challenging them to design, build and race an electric
car. It supplies age-appropriate kit cars that can be built in
schools, colleges, or group settings, and then raced in one of three
categories at Greenpower events, culminating in an international
final. In the UK, the competition attracts over 10,000 students, from
primary school age through to university, in more than 700 teams.
Similar Greenpower-licensed programmes also run in Europe and the USA.

For several years, pupils from Years 5 and 6 at The March CE
Primary School, which neighbours the Home of Rolls-Royce at Goodwood,
have taken part in the ‘Formula Goblin’ category for children aged
9-11. The marque originally funded one kit car for the after-school
STEM Club, but this proved so overwhelmingly popular that it now
supports a fleet of four.

The chassis and powertrain are supplied by Greenpower and are
standardised to ensure a level playing field. However, teams have
complete freedom to determine the form and finish of the bodywork that
sits on top. In a unique partnership, The March CE Primary School
teams work with specialists from Rolls-Royce Motor Cars to develop
their designs and bring them to life.

As in previous years, the children created a range of bold,
imaginative concepts for their cars around a specified theme, which in
2024 was ‘Elements’. They also learned more about the design process
from Rolls-Royce designers, who translated their drawings into full
digital renders, exactly as they would for a new model or client commission.

With the four designs finalised, Apprentices and Interns from
the Home of Rolls-Royce at Goodwood attended the STEM Club to help the
children build their cars, incorporating some of the actual materials
used in Rolls-Royce motor cars. The Apprentices also assisted with
driver training, test-driving and pit-stop practice in preparation for
race day.

The teams will be among those lining up for the race on 30 June,
which takes place at the Goodwood Motor Circuit, less than a mile from
the school and the Home of Rolls-Royce.

For more information on the Greenpower Education Trust and how
to get involved with their activities please visit www.greenpower.co.uk.