Young people from across Hull and the East Riding who are building electric kit cars to race at a unique event being held this summer have come together to showcase the progress of their projects.
Twelve teams gathered at the Project Blyth Car Jam at the University of Hull to show their cars, discuss new ideas and meet others involved in the race, which is taking place around the KCOM Stadium, Hull, on Sunday 16th July 2017.
The cars have been supplied to primary schools, secondary schools, colleges and community groups by Greenpower Education Trust, a charity that inspires young people to think about engineering as a career. The hands-on project captures the excitement of motorsport to inspire young people, from primary school through to university, to excel in STEM subjects, helping to address the serious shortage of engineers faced by UK industry.
Attending the Car Jam were teams from: Hymers College, Kelvin Hall School, The Warren, Ganton School, South Holderness Technology College, Malet Lambert, Making Changes For Careers, Biggin Hill Primary School Academy, Francis Askew Primary School and Stockwell Academy.
Vaughan Curnow, Project Coordinator at Greenpower Education Trust, commented:
“The Car Jam is a perfect opportunity for teams to come together and meet each other before the big race day. These young people have been working on the build and bodywork of their cars for so long and, with the race another three months away, the Car Jam just gives them something to look forward to and builds excitement for the race.
“It was fantastic to see the progress the teams are making and to see some of the mentor companies there too, offering their support. The cars I’ve seen have been impressive – I can’t wait to see the final results in July.”
Sixty-two cars will be raced around a circuit that covers the perimeter of the KCOM Stadium and the adjoining car parks, where a Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics (STEM) Fair will also take place. The event will see 33 teams attend, plus family, friends and supporters, from across the Humber region.
Project Blyth has been awarded funding from Green Port Hull, which is supported by the Regional Growth Fund, to support 10 Formula 20+ cars, enhance business engagement with schools and colleges and facilitate the race event. The Humber project also has the backing of major employers within the region including Siemens and the University of Hull, with 60 local firms already committed to helping teams.
Tim Rix, Chair of the Green Port Growth Programme, said:
“It’s great to hear so many young people and local companies are on board with Project Blyth. Green Port Hull is proud to be supporting this fantastic initiative and we can’t wait for this summer’s race event.”
The race is split up into Formula Goblin for primary school children, F24 for 11-16 year olds and F24 plus for 17-25-year-olds. The three best teams will then go into the national finals at Rockingham in Northants.
The cars driven by primary school children reach 15mph, while those for 11 years or older reach 25-30mph. Older participants can scratch-build cars, which means they can design the chassis more aerodynamically which could increase the car’s speed to 55mph.
For more information on Project Blyth, visit www.projectblyth.co.uk
