The stadium, which is now managed by GLL – a charitable social enterprise operating under the ‘Better’ brand - hosted Greenpower’s Formula Goblin event, an initiative which uses the excitement of motorsport to inspire young people to excel in science, technology, engineering and maths.
Thirty-one teams of youngsters aged between 9-11 years from schools in County Durham, Tyne & Wear and North Yorkshire have spent around the last 8 months designing and building a single seater electric car. Each school was provided with the kit car with easy-to-follow instructions and once assembled, the children were then tasked with designing and creating their own bodywork. Teams were encouraged to seek individual sponsorship from local businesses and fundraise to provide financial support for the project. The overall event was sponsored by the Reece Foundation.
The teams gathered at the stadium to complete the final element of the project by taking part in a series of driver challenges, competing against other teams in drag and slalom races with a grand finale of sprint races. With the youngsters working together to overcome technical and logistical issues, analysing their performance and implementing modifications ahead of each race.
The event culminated in an awards presentation, with Holy Infant and St. Anthony RC Primary School, Bolton taking first place for the drag races, while Fulwell Junior School, Sunderland were crowned winners of the slalom and overall champions.
Councillor John McElroy, Cabinet member for Environment and Transport at Gateshead Council, said: "It was fantastic to see an event prioritising sustainable travel for future generations hosted in Gateshead. Each team of primary school children got to discover more about sustainability in one of the most fun and engaging ways possible – by building their own kit cars and racing them at Gateshead International Stadium. Working with GLL, we hope to see more exciting challenges that encourage sustainability, health and fitness for young people across Gateshead and the wider region.”
Scott Holmes, Gateshead Partnership Manager at GLL, added: “In addition to putting communities at the heart of everything we do as part of our focus on tackling health inequalities, we’re committed to championing sustainability. Reducing our environmental impact is one of our key priorities so facilitating this exciting initiative that engages the future generation of engineers in eco-friendly practices aligns with our values.”
Respecting the planet is central to GLL’s nationwide business operations, with plans to achieve net zero by 2050. Since 2019, GLL has reduced its carbon footprint by 23% through investment of £8m in energy saving technologies like pool covers, LED lighting and the installation of renewable energy generation.
As part of GLL’s bid to futureproof facilities across Gateshead and Newcastle, each leisure centre has its own Energy and Sustainability Action Plan that provides a detailed personalised approach towards carbon reduction and sustainability.
In Newcastle, a largescale £6.7m decarbonisation scheme is in place which includes measures ranging from the installation of solar panels and air source heat pumps to the replacement of glazing and swimming pool covers, the addition of sensors and LED lighting to reduce electricity consumption and improved recycling practices. While the implementation of Green Travel Plans has seen the introduction of enhanced cycle storage facilities to encourage staff and members to travel to and from the centres by bike.