First Stop Runs Primary School “Green Machine” Competition

Six pupils from schools across the country have beaten off stiff competition to win prizes in a national art competition to design the car of the future.

Organised by the First Stop network, with help from several of its dealerships, ‘The Green Machine’ saw school children taking out their paint brushes and pens to compete for prizes for their schools. While the winning entries suggested such fanciful building materials as leaves and such unlikely fuels sources as cheese, the competition aimed to encourage children aged from 7 to 11 years old to think about how the cars of the future will look, and how they might be powered to protect the environment.

First Stop dealers involved were Addison Tyres based in Tipton, Harris Brothers in Swansea, and Jet Wheel Tyre in Rayleigh. Pupils from schools in each area scooped the first prize of a Nintendo DS Lite and the second prize of an art pack. First Stop also donated money to the schools, which is being spent on a variety of projects, as a symbol of gratitude for taking part.

Dan Woodward, retail marketing analyst at First Stop commented, “We wanted to encourage future generations to think about greener and safer motoring in a fun way. Although they aren’t behind the wheel just yet, it is important that young people understand how motoring can have an impact on their environment. 

“It was also a great opportunity to work closely with our dealers and in partnership with their local communities. The Green Machine was a fantastic success and we look forward to running it again in 2010.”