Ian Paisley MP, the Member of Parliament for North Antrim, joined a Parliamentary celebration of the work of Greenpower Education Trust who deliver Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) education in the form of racing kit cars that will be coming soon to the constituency.
The Greenpower Education Trust is a charity with one clear mission – to get young people excited about science and engineering by building and racing electric cars. The Greenpower Education Trust helps young people to build confidence and leadership skills and fosters community engagement.
The charity visits schools all across the country to help them cross the finish line in their very own kit car. There are 10,000 participants each year from schools and youth groups, building cars to compete in one of 35 or so regional race events each year, including at the world-renowned Goodwood race-track, as well as an international final to compete in.
Teams from Benelux, USA, China, Spain and Poland are amongst the other countries competing under the Greenpower licence.
"Given Northern Ireland's motor sporting heritage I am certain a local school will take up this challenge and win," commented the local MP.
Most importantly, the charity is helping to address the Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) skills gap. It has attracted the support of major sponsors including Siemens, Ford, and Institute of Engineering and Technology. The track days even attract the support of Le Mans racing professionals.
MPs attending the reception were joined by one of the Trust’s Patrons - The Duke of Richmond and Gordon, a keen motorsport enthusiast and host of racing events at Goodwood in West Sussex. They had the opportunity to see a racing vehicle built by young people and speak to a group of participants from Sandbach School in Cheshire.
Mr Paisley said:
“It was brilliant to be able to celebrate the wonderful achievements of the Greenpower Education Trust.
"I am delighted to be able to support such a successful and effective charity, and I am looking forward to helping with their expansion across schools and groups in my constituency.
“The work of Greenpower is key to bringing STEM subjects to life, and they are doing it through the excitement of car-racing and developing life-long skills to support the UK’s growing science and tech industries.”