Battling Wisbech Grammar School team shows green spirit in Williams-sponsored car
Norfolk youngsters’ determined drive in national Greenpower finals
13 October 2013: A team of 12 to 15 year olds from Wisbech Grammar School (WGS) battled for four hours through wet and windy weather at the 2013 Greenpower National Finals at Goodwood motor circuit. Sponsored by Kings Lynn refrigeration company Williams, they raced their Formula 24 car against 100 other teams of young engineers who had also made it through the regional heats.
The Wisbech team is recruited from the WGS Design and Technology department’s Young Engineers Club and the cars are designed to showcase green technology. Williams is involved through its Greenlogic initiative, which aims to deliver the greenest refrigeration solutions for its customers in the foodservice, baking and retail sectors. Driven by the youngsters in turn and clocking up speeds of up to 30mph, the battery-driven cars use 20 pence-worth of electricity over the race, the amount of energy consumed being the equivalent of a petrol car doing 2,980 miles per gallon.
The WGS team started the day down the field, but after a brilliant drive climbed up to finish in 45th – a huge improvement and a great achievement.
“The team showed determination and spirit, even though we encountered battery problems and the weather conditions were atrocious,” says Rob Frost, head of Design and Technology at WGS. “A big thank you to Williams, for the equipment and materials we need to run our team, and to John Wilson, our resident engineering consultant.”
“I was proud of the way the Wisbech team coped with conditions,” says Tim Smith, CEO of Williams. “The girls and boys show great enthusiasm and commitment. We are delighted to offer our continued support and encouragement.
“Educational trusts like Greenpower and the Young Engineer Group, which Wisbech Grammar School is also involved with, help children understand how technology impacts on the environment, and how creative engineering can deliver greener solutions. We firmly believe in encouraging and inspiring children to take an interest in engineering as a future career. Who knows, Williams may be employing some of these youngsters in the future!”
To learn more about Williams Refrigeration visit www.williams-refrigeration.co.uk
Wisbech Grammar School: www.wgs.cambs.sch.uk
Greenpower: www.greenpower.co.uk
Young Engineer Group: www.youngeng.org