Assistant head, Rob Archard, was first made aware of the opportunity thanks to Penny Daly, Coast to Capital's Enterprise Co-ordinator for Greater Brighton & Hove. "It's just the sort of thing that can really engage and inspire our students," Archard said.
The challenge was finding the funds to be able to proceed. Like all schools, funding cuts mean that Homewood is having to budget extremely carefully and cannot afford to pay for this sort of opportunity.
Greenpower had just three partial sponsorships remaining to offer to schools in disadvantaged areas, so long as they could find a match sponsor. Through the Coast to Capital Enterprise Advisor programme, the school was able to secure sponsorship from Uber; the first such sponsorship that the tech giant has supported in this country.
"We are keen to find ways to contribute positively to the communities in which we operate," said Fred Jones, Uber's Head of Cities. "To be able to support a group of young people with complex needs on a project that is fully aligned with our vision for sustainable transport, couldn't be a better match."
The students have already begun to build the kit car ahead of the national race in June. This is just one of a fleet of initiatives that Coast to Capital's Enterprise Advisors are supporting schools to deliver across the city. "It's more important than ever for schools to give their students access to career opportunities throughout their education," said Penny Daly. "We are thrilled to be able to work in partnership with the Careers and Enterprise Company so that we connect business leaders with schools across the region to find innovative, individualised ways of broadening the horizons of our next generation."
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