The kids are alright

When you want to challenge yourself and drive a solar-powered car the length of the UK, a pandemic can really put a spanner in the works. But even with some fairly major setbacks, the enthusiasm of the Ardingly Ifield Solar Car team never dimmed.

The collaborative project between Ardingly College and Ifield Community College reached its goal of travelling from John O’Groats to Haywards Heath today in ‘The Basking Beastie’ a car powered by solar energy.

It was a mammoth effort by everyone involved and the student team proved that if you apply fresh thinking to the age-old problem of vehicle pollution you can deliver some ingenious solutions. 

Not only does it prove that driving a solar-powered car on public roads over huge distances can be done, it’s also helping to raise money for industry charity Ben. You can even donate by phone, simply text SOLAR and the amount that you’d like to donate next to it to 70450. Texts cost £3 plus one standard network rate message. Ardingly set themselves a healthy fundraising target, so if you can donate, every little bit helps.

The impressive road trip saw the team leave John O’Groats on the 2nd of August and head to Inverness, Aberdeen, and Edinburgh before crossing the border into England and reaching Durham.

From there it was York, Rugby, Gaydon, and Cambridge before a quick pitstop at the IMI HQ so we could chat to them about everything they’d been doing on a Facebook Live session.

Then it was on to Central London, Woking, and Crawley before reaching the finish line back at Ardingly College and a well-earned rest today.
 
I think we’ve all earned some downtime after the last 16 months, but if you have a question you need answering we’re always here, please get in touch on +44 (0)1992 519025, or send an email to hello@theimi.org.uk. 
   
With my very best wishes and enjoy the summer!
 
Steve

PS
Now could be a good opportunity to check out the IMI’s VOCANTO e-Learning platform, there is a free taster module to help highlight what a powerful tool it could be, helping you accelerate your career.