New Science Oxford Centre one step closer
Friday 15th March 2019
We’re one step closer to opening our brand new science centre this week, as the team at the Oxford Trust (the charity behind Science Oxford) received the keys to the revolving doors of the Science Oxford Centre and the adjoining Wood Centre for Innovation (WCFI) at Stansfeld Park in Headington.
From September 2019, our Science Oxford Centre – the UK’s first integrated indoor-outdoor science education facility – will open to visits for primary schools and early years groups from across the region. It will also be open to the public at weekends and in school holidays.
Imagine a space where children can create their own experiments and make their own discoveries. A space that challenges them to think and develop ideas and solutions through scientific play – that enables them to see the world differently. Each of the twenty hands-on exhibits in our Exploration Zone is designed to give children the freedom to explore, experiment and discover. Also, there’s a fully equipped workshop perfect for delivering a wide range of inspiring STEM workshops for school visitors and our club members and 15 acres of woodland with ponds and paths to explore.
The purpose-built WCFI next door will become home to some of the region’s most exciting new high-tech businesses and entrepreneurs.
Construction firm Beard Oxford, who have delivered the £13m project on time and on budget, handed over the keys to Stansfeld Park to John Boyle, the Chair of The Oxford Trust and CEO Steve Burgess. To mark the occasion the Trust’s founders and patrons, Sir Martin and Lady Audrey Wood, cut the ribbon on a specially-commissioned sculpture by Oxfordshire artist David Harber.
The Ohm, a ‘unit of electrical resistance’, represents Sir Martin’s link with the University of Oxford’s Physics Department where he first developed the superconducting magnets that are now used in MRI scanners across the globe and celebrates their inspirational journey and positive impact on science and innovation in Oxfordshire, including setting up our sister charities, Earth Trust and Sylva Foundation.
The centre and woodland will also be a fabulous space for the local community to visit and enjoy, with a programme of talks, special events and family open days. Our first event is already booked in – The Gendered Brain with Gina Rippon takes place in the theatre on 13th May. We can’t wait to see everyone coming through the doors!
Watch the timelapse of the build here, and if you’re feeling nosy, have a peek at our webcam live streaming!
