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At-Bristol urges the Government to give priority to science centres’ funding issue and set up a permanent fund.

Goéry Delacôte, Chief Executive, At-Bristol science centre, urges the government to be decisive with regards to the funding issue faced by science centres in the UK and to react urgently, by considering the creation of a permanent peer-review fund for science centres.  This is in response to the report issued by the Science and Technology Select Committee yesterday. 

In addition, Dr. Delacôte applauds the Committee's work in highlighting to the Government the funding gap faced by science centres in the UK, and welcomes their conclusion that the sector deserves continued support. 

According to Dr. Delacôte:

“We are reasonably advocating the creation of a permanent fund that is administered through a peer-review system with guidelines and stringent monitoring processes.  This measure will help stabilise the profession and improve the quality and the impact of the service given by all science centres. 

The English government’s recognition of science centres’ contributions to society unfortunately pales hugely in comparison to that of the governments in Wales, Scotland and Ireland.  In fact, other major countries like the USA and some developing nations including India and China have not waited to invest in science centres.

In the USA, science centres receive an estimated $70 million per annum on initial or extended transformation. For science centres in the UK to operate at the same level, the UK government would only have to spend £17.5 million per annum for the sector, a fraction of the £320 million per annum distributed to museums and galleries in the UK. 

Science centres in the UK are vital in supporting the public engagement of science, including science education, and there’s no doubt about that.  We are confident that the results from the recommended independent research will point towards this fact. 

This issue must be addressed quickly in order to stop the decline of science learning enrolment in British schools, and especially to aid the facilitation of science-based modernisation of the British economy.”

For press enquiries:
Mavis Choong, At-Bristol
0117 915 7152 / 0796 733 4152 / mavis.choong@at-bristol.org.uk


Notes to Editors:

1. At-Bristol science centre aims to be a world-class science centre that makes distinctive, valued and recognised contributions to informal science learning and public engagement with science across Europe.  A registered charity, At-Bristol operates the Explore and Planetarium attractions and the science centre has hosted more than three million visits since its inception.

2. Approximately 25% of its visits are students on organised visits (c51% of all schools in the South West have visited - from nearly 100% in Bristol to 28% of secondary schools in Cornwall).

3. To-date, At-Bristol has won thirteen awards since opening in 2000 including the Good Britain Guide 2001’s ‘Family Attraction of the Year’ and ‘Large Attraction of the Year’ in the England in Excellence Awards South West.

4. At-Bristol is part of the Science Learning Centre network and its South West centre is located and managed by At-Bristol together with the Universities of Bristol and Plymouth.  At-Bristol is the only science centre in the UK to be at the heart of this nationwide Government initiative, delivering CPD to science teachers and staff across the region. 

5. Dr. Goéry Delacôte is a renowned French scientist, science educator and public servant, who joined At-Bristol science centre as its Chief Executive in September 2005.  Dr. Delacôte holds a Ph.D. in solid state Physics from the École Normale Supérieure in Paris and has been involved in public engagement of science since the outset of his career.  He was recently elected as a Fellow by the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the world’s largest scientific society, for his contribution and achievement towards science communication.
   
6. An evidence-based report has been submitted to the committee for the inquiry in July and a copy of the At-Bristol’s evidence is available on http://www.ecsite-uk.net/select-committee/index.html.