What was your favourite activity at school? Was it being part of a motorsport team, racing on real circuits and learning to develop a car with your classmates? For an impressive number of pupils and students, this fanciful-sounding notion is a reality thanks to the Greenpower Trust, which was helped at a recent event by willing volunteers from the Lotus Drivers Club.
The UK faces a well-publicised shortage of engineers, with bright young minds too often diverted into other careers or put off by negative perceptions about the profession. Greenpower exists to challenge these, brilliantly engaging young people by enabling them to ‘own’ a project that is exciting, relevant and technically challenging. Over the past couple of decades, students have designed and built single-seater cars at school or college, going on to race at venues including Goodwood, Silverstone and Mallory Park.
When the demand arose for a venue in East Anglia, what better track could there be than Hethel? Matt Windle and the Lotus team were receptive to the idea and generous with their time, leading to the glorious sight of a Lotus Exige leading a gaggle of F24 cars off the line in 2019. The weather was appalling but the young teams rose to the challenge superbly, with two ninety-minute races run with the aim of travelling as far as possible - junior endurance racing, in other words.
Schools from a broad spectrum have competed annually at Hethel since then, with teams from rural Norfolk racing side-by-side with rivals from London, the Midlands, Kent, Lincolnshire, Cheshire and beyond, many drawn by the cachet of competing on Lotus’ historic track. There is no distinction between state or independent schools, with three drivers required per race and a level playing field between boys and girls. Greenpower bucks the trend of inequality in motorsport and engineering, with close to 40% of participants being female.
None of this could happen without volunteer support. On race days, school staff supervise their teams and a core from Greenpower fulfils roles such as clerk of the course and chief scrutineer. However, with up to 60 cars entered for events at Hethel, and even more at venues such as Goodwood, a good supply of the right kind of volunteers is essential for marshalling, scrutineering, recovery and safety checks before cars are allowed on track.
David Wenman, Lotus Drivers Club East Anglia Area Organiser, was impressively positive and helpful when we needed help for an event at Hethel in September, inviting us to meet some of the friendly LDC folk at an Old Buckenham barbeque to sketch out what was needed. Members of the Club followed his prompting to sign up for what proved to be a great event on a sunny Sunday at Hethel, at least they did once a glitch with Greenpower’s online registration was overcome. Together with Lotus staff who also volunteered, the LDC crew were a key part of running a successful event.
My school, Town Close in Norwich, enjoyed a good day, with our ‘Team Phantom’ picking up a trophy for 2nd place in the Kit Car category, and fourth overall. Given our team members are only 12 or 13 years old, this was a fine achievement in F24 - the category for 11-16 year-olds. The school has links with Lotus going back to Clive Chapman’s time there as a pupil. Team Phantom proudly wear logos of the Colin Chapman Foundation, thanks to his ongoing support.
Competitor numbers in Greenpower events are rising, and there are likely to be nearly 40 events around the UK in 2025. Heats range from Cornwall to Scotland, starting in the spring and culminating at the International Final in the autumn, and there are categories for age groups from 9-25 years old with increasingly advanced electric cars.
Primary schools can compete in Formula Goblin. These don't race on a full circuit - that is reserved for high school and college students in F24 heats - but run slaloms, drag and sprint races in enclosed areas, such as car parks.
If you would like to get involved and help volunteer at one of the 2025 meetings please contact the Club at volunteer@lotusdriversclub.org.uk, quoting 'GreenPower', or contact your local Area Organiser directly. You too could come away with that very warm, inner glow feeling that David and his band of volunteers came away with last September. Somehow helping others and seeing the expressions on the faces of all involved is something that money just cannot buy. If you would like to know more, visit the website or email info@greenpower.co.uk or Matt Buckat mbuck@townclose.com
Training is provided on the day as, although the speeds achieved are modest compared with professional racing, safety is paramount and the need to check cars, helmets, harnesses, driving standards and compliance with regulations contributes towards keeping the competitors safe.
Organising real racing for young people relies on sponsorship as well as volunteers. Ford are stalwart supporter nationally, and the Hethel events in 2024 benefitted from the Dudgeon Wind Farm's STEM funding programme. Other companies subsidise services, such as Spacesuit Media with superb photography at events. Greenpower is always open to conversations with potential backers.
