Welsh diaspora support to get Cardiff F1 in Schools team into poll position

GlobalWelsh, the global community of Welsh people and businesses, today announces that it is supporting Team Blackout, world finalists for the F1 in Schools competition. Having broken the competition record earlier this year at the national finals against 32 other schools the team of 15 and 16 year olds, from St John’s College in Cardiff, are now embarking on their campaign to become champions at the world finals 2022 at Silverstone in July.

The F1 in Schools initiative is a global education programme to raise awareness of STEM and Formula 1 in schools to help change the perceptions of science, technology, engineering and maths by creating a fun and exciting learning environment.

Team Blackout approached GlobalWelsh to help support their campaign by reaching out to the Welsh diaspora. GlobalWelsh published a Callout to those within the network who have a particular connection to Cardiff or passion for supporting STEM skills in schools. Andrew Williams, GlobalWelsh Founding Patron and CEO of FTSE 100 company Halma plc, originally from Llanishen in Cardiff, was happy to financially support the campaign on behalf of GlobalWelsh. Andrew said:

“As a business leader I understand the importance of investing in young talent. As an engineer I feel passionately about STEM skills, and as a Welshman I am passionate about paying it forward and supporting young people in Wales.

‘When I met the team I was incredibly impressed by their achievements so far and their ambition, a truly talented group of young people. I am delighted to support them and their campaign in my capacity as GlobalWelsh Founding Patron and I wish them every success in their endeavour to become world champions this July. Go Team Blackout!”

The team of six school pupils, headed up by Design Technology teacher at the school Clare Crowley-Davies, will compete against 53 other teams from 25 countries. Teams will be judged on a number of criteria from enterprising to verbal presentation skills and from to engineering to pit stop design, Clare comments:

“We are very proud to say that the team can already lay claim to the UK’s fastest car but the competition is focused on so much more than that. It’s about giving the students a wide range of skills that they can then take with them into their careers. We’ve been competing in the F1 in Schools competition for three years now and each year we build and just get better and better. We are very much looking forward to the finals and want to say a huge thank you to Andrew and GlobalWelsh for their support in helping the team get here.”

GlobalWelsh is always looking for ways to channel diaspora support for ambitious people, businesses and initiatives in Wales. Walter May, founder and CEO of GlobalWelsh, commented:

“As an engineer myself that has worked with F1 teams and experienced the incredible lengths they go to to optimise a cars performance, I was excited to learn about the F1 in Schools programme. I was immediately hooked and saw the potential to put Wales on a global stage, support STEM education and give team Blackout the support they deserve. They are an impressive group of young people with a very bright future.”

The Aramco F1 in Schools World Finals will be taking place in Silverstone from 9-15th July. If you want to find out more about Team Blackout and how you can support them click here.