Science Centres For Our Future

Catalyst has joined UK Science Centres’ nationwide campaign calling for Government Emergency Resilience Funding

Science Centres For Our Future Campaign Launched 27 May

Catalyst Science Discovery Centre, along with over 40 members of the UK Association for Science and Discovery Centres (ASDC), has today joined the Science Centres For Our Future campaign, which is calling on the government to set up an Emergency Resilience Fund to support the UK’s world-class network of regional Science Centres.

Catalyst has been a successful self-sustaining charity for over 32 years with little or no government funding. Due to Covid-19 Catalyst closed its doors to visitors in March, cancelled community outreach and education programmes and stopped all events, cutting off every vital revenue stream for the charity.

To highlight the crucial role that UK Science Centres play in making science accessible to all, Catalyst is joining a nationwide campaign which is being supported by some of the UK’s leading science advocates including Professor Alice Roberts, Professor of Public Engagement in Science at Uni of Birmingham and Dr Jackie Bell, Senior Teaching Fellow for Equality and Engagement, Imperial College London and Honorary Fellow of the University of Liverpool, Department of Mathematics.

The Science Centres For Our Future campaign (#ScienceCentresForOurFuture) 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 Catalyst cannot currently apply for the Arts Council or Heritage Emergency grants and, without government support, many UK Science Centres are at risk.

At a time when science is so important and with major global challenges ahead from both Covid-19 and climate change, Science Centres provide our regional cities and towns with crucial opportunities to access science, in an approachable and engaging way, helping to inspire our next generation of scientists and engineers.

Catalyst is a valuable community resource welcoming 35,000 visitors a year and working with many of the local schools in Halton the 27^th most deprived area in the country. Nationally, hands-on Science Centres like Catalyst welcome over 13 million people in regions outside London and contribute over £200million per year to local economies.

Catalyst is so important for Halton. Many will have fond memories of school visits and family days out, learning new things and being inspired by interactive and hands-on experiences such as the ground floor gallery, Operation Earth and Explore Your Universe Shows and sleepovers for uniformed groups. Visitors have returned and told the team at Catalyst they have been inspired by their visit to pursue careers in science – and more will follow in their footsteps.

But, in lockdown and without no or reduced revenue streams, Science Centres face a chronic funding gap. As charities, Science Centres like Catalyst cannot take on large debts as, whilst the furlough has been hugely helpful, costs like utility bills, insurance, payroll, site security and rents still need to be paid.

Martin B Pearson, CEO at Catalyst said:

“Catalyst Science Discovery Centre and Museum, like those of our 40+ colleagues around the UK do not receive any government funding.  We rely on visitors and schools coming through our doors to enjoy and learn from our experience.  This normal income stream has dried up since the country went into lockdown and with social distancing set to continue post lockdown, our income could be as low as 25% for the next 12 months.  This isn’t enough to pay the costs of running this independent charity.  This campaign is critical for our future and with that, our ability to inspire and educate our future scientists whilst having some fun with their family or school class.  It will also allow our work with the local community to continue in what will be a very challenging time for many families as they adjust to a post Covid:19 world.  Please support our campaign so that Science Centres have a future for all.”

Dr Penny Fidler, CEO of ASDC highlights:

“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.”

Alice Roberts, Professor of Public Engagement in Science, University of Birmingham and ASDC Patron, adds:

“From Catalyst, the Glasgow Science Centre and the Eden Project, to the Centre for Alternative Energy and the Centre for Life in Newcastle – our Science Centres and museums are important as places where people can learn about many different branches of science, get inspired, and satisfy their own curiosity. These centres support hands-on learning for children, all the way through to lifelong learning for adults. Like many other cultural institutions, Science Centres are struggling at this time – they need our support. I hope the government can help them survive, so that they can continue their crucial work, making science accessible for everyone.”

See Alice Roberts support video here

ASDC and Catalyst are asking the public to support the Science Centres For Our Future campaign in two key ways:

• Share your Science Centre photos and why you love them on social media, using the #ScienceCentresForOurFuture
• Write to your local MPs asking them to support the creation of this Emergency Fund to secure the future of Catalyst (find a downloadable email on the campaign website)

With one voice championing the Science Centres, ASDC wants to let the government know how important these charitable enterprises are to our regions, and ask the government to save over 40 of these vital cultural and community resources, thousands of jobs, millions of annual visits and billions of individual discoveries.

ENDS

For further information:

About Catalyst Science Discovery Centre and Museum

Catalyst Science Discovery Centre is the only museum in the UK which explores the science and technology behind the chemical industry and its impact on our lives past and present through a host of hands-on exhibits, activities and demonstrations. Catalyst is an independent charitable trust operated by Catalyst Science Discovery Centre and Museum Trust Limited.

Website: www.catalyst.org.uk

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CatalystScienceDiscoveryCentre/

Twitter: @CatalystSDC

For more information contact Meryl Jameson, Marketing Manager at Catalyst Science Discovery Centre, Mersey Road, Widnes, Cheshire WA8 0DF. Telephone 0151 420 1121 or e-mail meryl@catalyst.org.uk 

• To find out more about Science Centres For Our Future, check out the campaign landing page here.
• To access to Science Centres For Our Future Google Drive with video clips, logos and images please click here.

About the UK Association for Science and Discovery Centres

The ASDC membership is made up of over 60 of the nation’s largest publicly accessible Science Centres, discovery centres, environment centres, science museums and scientific bodies, based in our cities and regions across the UK.

Together 20 million people of all ages and backgrounds choose to get involved with science at one of the UK’s Science and Discovery Centres and Science Museums each year, this includes 13 million people to the Science Centres outside London. Together, our vision is for a society where people of all backgrounds and in all parts of the UK are inspired and involved with the sciences.

www.sciencecentres.org.uk.  @science centres