The Duke of York is keen to support initiatives that encourage more children and young people in the United Kingdom to get excited about science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM). The Cambridge Science Centre joins a short list of other innovative UK initiatives in which he is actively involved including TeenTech CIC, Code Club and Young Engineers. The science enrichment activities of these organisations help children develop life-long interests in science and engineering. They also showcase careers and skills which will underpin the future economic success of the United Kingdom, getting children to make better informed choices on what to study in school. His Royal Highness is also Royal Fellow of the Royal Society, one of the world’s longest running and most prestigious scientific societies.
“Having The Duke of York as Patron of the Cambridge Science Centre really helps to demonstrate the importance of the work we are doing.” said Dr. David Cleevely CBE. “We’ve had a stunningly successful first year of operation, and we are looking forward to growing the charity to accommodate pop-up centres throughout East Anglia and beyond. His Royal Highness’s patronage will help us open doors we need to help us fund and steer the Science Centre through its next stage of development.”
The Cambridge Science Centre has an innovative portable exhibition format which is suited to smaller spaces such as school halls and shops in town centres. This format has proved itself in Cambridge in its first year of operation, with over 20,000 visitors and many highly successful school visits. In 2014 the Centre will be trialling its pop-up format through its “On-The-Road” programme in schools throughout East Anglia, and in 2015 this will be extended to city centre pop-up placements. These steps will prove the viability of a model for the roll-out of small format pop-up centres around the UK in the following years.
The Cambridge Science Centre has been made possible through the generous support of local entrepreneurs, corporate sponsorships and grants to help offset the cost of developing and delivering its programmes, together with Jesus College, Cambridge, which has provided a central Cambridge location. It has raised over £1M towards its charitable aims since its founding in April 2012, and it is now seeking funds for its new exhibition and event programmes in 2014 through 2016 as well as support to develop its pop-up science centre programme. This will allow the Cambridge Science Centre to inspire hundreds of thousands, not just tens of thousands, of children and families with hands-on science in their local communities. In his role as Patron, the Duke of York will help the Board of Trustees and senior management of the Science Centre open doors to those companies and individuals who may be interested in these programmes.
About the Cambridge Science Centre:
The Cambridge Science Centre is a UK registered educational charity (No. 1146349) providing year round public access to hands-on science through public exhibitions, events and schools outreach. The aims of the charity are to: inspire visitors to learn more about science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), to reach underserved communities with engaging hands-on activities, to help the public better understand current research, and to motivate people to apply scientific observation and reasoning in day- to-day life. The Centre is located in central Cambridge at 18 Jesus Lane, Cambridge, CB5 8BQ. The Centre is a member of the UK Association for Science and Discovery Centres. To find out more on programmes and events visit: www.cambridgesciencecentre.org or follow on Twitter (@camsciencecntr)
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Press Contact: press@cambridgesciencecentre.org
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