Sussex-based Rolls-Royce Motor Cars recently extended its long-term support for local March CE Primary School in the Greenpower IET ‘Gathering of Goblins’ — the UK’s premier event for electric-powered racing cars designed, built and driven by school-children.

For this year’s event, which took place on 21 July, the company provided a new car to replace the school’s existing car, but the team decided to race both cars (built by the children from kits developed by the Greenpower Education Trust).

While the chassis and powertrain are common to all entrants and subject to strict scrutiny, competitors are free to develop their own designs and finishes for the bodywork.

The children worked in pairs to come up with designs, which were reviewed by Rolls-Royce apprentices working with the children and then realised at the company’s Goodwood manufacturing plant.

The two completed cars were formally handed over to their drivers and pit crews at a special ceremony on 16 July.

Andrew Ball, ‘head of philanthropy’ at Rolls-Royce Motor Cars (www.rolls-roycemotorcars.com), said: “It has been our privilege and pleasure to be involved with the school on this project over a number of years.

“With its emphasis on design, creativity, engineering and performance, it chimes perfectly with our own values and activities as a company.

"Working on Goblins has also proved extremely popular with our apprentices, for whom it provides a whole new set of challenges and an opportunity to share their knowledge and enthusiasm with those who may — one day — follow in their footsteps.”