St Swithun’s School celebrates 25 years of Greenpower

Current and past students, staff, parents and volunteers came together earlier this month to celebrate 25 years of Greenpower at St Swithun’s School in Winchester.

The event brought the school community together to reflect on a quarter of a century of engineering creativity, teamwork and innovation inspired by the Greenpower project.

The founding head of design and technology at St Swithun’s, Vaughan Clarke, shared the story of introducing Greenpower to the school and the lasting impact it has had on pupils.

The celebration recognised the school’s pioneering role in introducing Greenpower and highlighted the ongoing importance of hands-on STEM education.

Special guests included former St Swithun’s student and current Greenpower chair, Nash Vracas, who returned to campus to help cut the celebratory cake. She said, “The lessons you learn in your teenage years stay with you for life and I’ve often reflected on the confidence that St Swithun’s gave me as I’ve moved forward in my career. Coming back was a wonderful reminder of that. It was so lovely to see familiar faces, many of whom I hadn’t seen since leaving, and to hear about the different paths everyone has taken.

“Greenpower has become a huge part of my life, particularly since joining the board and I probably have school to thank for that as giving back or ‘caritas’ has always been part of our motto. At St Swithun’s we were taught the importance of charity work and contributing to society and I wanted to offer the next generation the same opportunities I was privileged to have. Greenpower gave me the platform to develop key skills such as teamwork, problem solving and perseverance in a safe environment and at a much younger age than most. It also sparked a passion for the subjects that have continued to support me as I’ve navigated my career.”

Also in attendance were Greenpower CEO Barnabas Shelborne, current headmistress Jane Gandee, and former headmistress Dr Helen Harvey.

Reflecting on the occasion, Jane Gandee said, “Greenpower has been a defining part of life at St Swithun’s for 25 years, sparking curiosity and ambition in many of our pupils. We are proud to have been involved for a quarter of a century and to see the movement grow.

“As a girls-only school, Greenpower has been especially powerful in breaking down gender stereotypes. Engineering and motorsport are still too often seen as male-dominated fields, but our pupils show year after year that talent, creativity and determination are not defined by gender. Taking part in Greenpower helps them to see themselves as future engineers, designers and leaders.”