In our March funding round Worthing Community Chest awarded Youth University at Davison £1,110. This was used to purchase a kit car which the students then build.
Malcolm Brett and Fred Weller, two of our Trustees, visited YU at Davison recently. Malcolm kindly put together this blog about their visit.
Fred and I visited YU at Davison School on Saturday 10 October where we met Emily Quinn the co-ordinator of the project.
She escorted us on to the playing field to meet Mercedes Willard, the project manager, and a number of the students.
They were testing the vehicle that the Community Chest had funded, a kit car, which had been built by the students. They then set about designing and fitting the bodywork and also naming the car.
The best way to describe the car would be to like it to a go kart but powered by an electric motor, although battery powered it was capable of speeds up to 30mph.
The whole idea of the project is to teach the young people to work as a team, not only in the construction of the vehicle but as a pit crew with each of them taking it in turns to drive.
The team are planning to take part in a number of races over the next few months at various schools.
The benefit of the purchase of the kit car is that it can be used for many years and can be dismantled at the end of each season; this will allow new students to construct and race it the following year.
