From 11 to 13 July, Girls on Track UK joined the fully-electric Extreme E event in Scotland as part of their Hydro E-Prix weekend, showcasing parity in motorsport with each team required to have one male and one female driver. 

2024 has welcomed a new element to the Girls on Track Community, with the launch of five regionalized hubs meeting four times over the course of the year. Members of the Scottish hub joined Extreme E teams on the Thursday to partake in the race’s legacy project, focusing on tackling the decline of Atlantic salmon. The hub supported the Nith District Salmon Fishery Board by taking part in electrofishing of the salmon which provided key information in monitoring the population of the fish performing ‘Kick Sampling’ which allowed them to identify which aquatic insects and invertebrates are living in the water, and finally doing some ‘Willow Spiling’ which is a traditional technique using freshly cut willow and wearing them together to stabilise the riverbanks.  

On 12 July, 43 young carers from local charities, aged 8 to14 years, were welcome onto the Extreme E site to experience what it is like at a live race event, providing some much-needed downtime for the attendees and opportunities for engagement and exchange. 

On Saturday, the 12 Scottish hub participants were able to access a behind the scenes experience of Extreme E, meeting team personnel from a range of Extreme E teams in addition to being welcomed by drivers throughout the day.  

Girls on Track Scottish community hub member Becky Robson commented, “I am forever grateful to be part of Girls on Track and the whole project wouldn’t be as amazing as it is without you leading it and creating opportunities for girls to become involved and volunteer at different events. You should be so proud of the work you do!” 

Jenny Fletcher, Girls on Track UK Programme Manager adds, “The launch of our national hubs allows us to introduce new elements, such as the importance of sustainability and how this impacts the future of motorsport across the UK – of incredible relevance to our community members when considering future career paths. It’s inspiring to see our hub members making a difference not only in their local community but also partaking in activities that will benefit the local environment, long after the race has moved on.”