Young engineers take to the track at the Reece Foundation-backed Greenpower Goblin Challenge

26th June 2026

  • Sixteen teams of 9–11-year-olds from schools and community groups across the North East built and raced their own electric Goblin cars at Gateshead Stadium.
  • The Reece Foundation continued its long-standing support for Greenpower, helping more young people experience engineering through practical, hands-on STEM learning.
  • St Stephen’s Catholic Primary School was crowned overall winner, with awards also recognising creativity, teamwork, sustainability and sportsmanship.

Young people from across the North East put their engineering skills to the test as they took part in this year’s Reece Foundation-supported Greenpower Goblin Challenge at Gateshead Stadium.

The event brought together 16 teams of 9–11-year-olds from schools and community groups, who spent months designing, building and testing their own electric kit cars before competing in a series of exciting races and challenges.

For many of the pupils, race day marked the culmination of weeks of teamwork, problem-solving and hands-on STEM learning, giving them the chance to apply their new skills in a real engineering environment.

The day began with technical slalom and drag race challenges, allowing teams to demonstrate the handling, speed and reliability of their self-built Goblin cars. In the afternoon, the competition moved to the sprint race, where the young engineers battled to record the fastest lap times.

Throughout the day, pupils impressed judges with their enthusiasm, creativity and determination, highlighting how practical engineering activities can inspire confidence and a lasting interest in STEM subjects.

Celebrating success

Taking home the overall win was St Stephen’s Catholic Primary School from Longbenton, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, whose standout vehicle impressed judges with both performance and consistency across all challenges.

Additional awards recognised the creativity, effort, and sportsmanship on display:

  • Best Presented Team – Sacred Heart Primary School, from Fenham, Newcastle-upon-Tyne
  • Greenest Bodywork – The Hive Youth Zone
  • Best Bodywork – The Drive Primary School from Felling, Gateshead
  • Spirit of Greenpower Award – Western Community Primary from Wallsend

Speaking about the win, Mr Baines of St Stephen’s Catholic Primary School said: “Taking part has been an incredible experience for our school. With the support of Rowland Hingston, a Greenpower Ambassador, and George Wright, a stem volunteer from Siemens, the build became far more achievable and gave our students a wonderful opportunity to develop real-world STEM skills. The competition was a fantastic day regardless of the result, but yesterday’s success made it extra special for our pupils.”

Supporting future engineers

The Reece Foundation has proudly supported the Greenpower Goblin Challenge for many years, helping schools and community groups across the region give young people access to inspiring, hands-on engineering experiences.

This year’s event once again demonstrated the difference practical STEM activities can make, encouraging pupils to think creatively, solve problems and work collaboratively while discovering the exciting possibilities of engineering.

Terry Courtney, Trustee of the Reece Foundation, said: “We are very proud to have supported the Greenpower Goblin Racing Challenge for many years now, helping to give young people across the North East the chance to experience engineering in such a practical, exciting and memorable way. It’s fantastic to attend events like this, which show how creativity, teamwork and problem-solving can spark a lifelong interest in STEM, and it is inspiring to see pupils really enjoying themselves whilst gaining confidence and developing skills that could shape their future careers.”

The Reece Foundation also provided funding to schools to enable them to take part. The Drive Primary School in Felling was one of them.

Karina Cuthbertson from the school said: “We are incredibly grateful for the opportunity to take part in the Greenpower Goblin Race Day. It was a truly memorable experience for our pupils, giving them the chance to work as a team, apply their STEM learning in a real-world context, and build confidence through an exciting and inspiring challenge. Without the generous support of the Reece Foundation, this experience simply would not have been possible.”

Inspiring the next generation

The Greenpower Goblin Challenge is designed to introduce primary-aged children to engineering through design, construction and racing. By making STEM fun, practical and accessible, it helps young people develop skills that extend far beyond the classroom.

Dawn Ross, STEM Hub Liaison Coordinator for Yorkshire, Humber and North East England, attended the event and saw first-hand the impact of the programme. She said: “We were delighted to have the opportunity to visit the Greenpower race day and see the fantastic work taking place. We are proud that our STEM Ambassadors can support events like this, sharing their experience and helping to inspire the next generation.”

From first sketches and assembly to race day itself, the Greenpower Goblin Challenge gives young people the opportunity to experience engineering in action. The Reece Foundation is proud to continue supporting initiatives like this that inspire confidence, develop practical skills and encourage the engineers, innovators and problem-solvers of tomorrow.

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