Science Oxford supports Science Centres for our Future Campaign
Tuesday 2nd June 2020
Science Oxford joins over 40 members of the UK Association for Science and Discovery Centres’ (ASDC) nationwide campaign to call for Government to set up an Emergency Resilience Fund to support our world-class network of regional science centres. The campaign is being supported by some of the UK’s leading science advocates – including Professor Alice Roberts and Sir Paul Nurse.
Science centres deliver inspirational and inclusive science experiences and programmes for schools, families and children across our regional towns and cities. Young people will often have their first experience of science thanks to these much-loved local centres but many are now at risk due to measures they have had to take during the Covid-19 pandemic. Nationally, hands-on science centres, like the Science Oxford Centre, welcome over 13 million people per year, contribute over £200 million annually to local economies and employ over 5000 people skilled at engaging the public with science. But with centres and their programmes closed during lockdown most face a chronic funding gap.
The Science Centres For Our Future campaign supports ASDC’s submission to Government, asking it to urgently grant £25 million in Emergency Resilience Funding to secure the future of the whole network of UK science centres. Future-focussed science centres like Science Oxford cannot apply for the Arts Council or Heritage Emergency grants and, without government support, many UK centres are now at risk.
As a nation and as a global society we have some major challenges ahead, especially in relation to climate and coronavirus. To solve these challenges, we need an entrepreneurial and scientifically engaged society. Science centres unlock science for people, making it accessible and interesting to millions of children and adults each year. Without support we will start to lose these popular cultural resources that offer access into science for all.
We would ask anyone involved in science and tech to support this important campaign.
We are asking the public to support the Science Centres For Our Future Campaign on social media (#ScienceCentresForOurFuture) and by writing to your local MP to secure the future of science centres.
To find out more, see: https://future.sciencecentres.org.uk
