Vox pop: October 2009

"We were very disappointed by the government's science centre report. While it acknowledges the considerable role that UK science and discovery centres play in motivating, engaging and inspiring people - the conclusion is to not contribute to their funding. This is notionally based on a lack of long-term evidence which the report openly acknowledges is also the situation in the government-funded science engagement programmes.

Science centres are found cross the UK and act as hubs enabling people to engage with science and to meet and talk with scientists. If government is serious about investing in the science base of the UK, it should support the role of these independent and trusted centres."


"The work of science centres is vital in promoting the understanding of science - it is essential that enquiring minds are stimulated to consider the challenges of our increasingly technological world.

Informing and educating the community, especially children, is crucial to ensuring that the public are equipped to make informed decisions about the safety, ethics and desirability of technology.

However, if we are to provide this essential service to deliver the 'wow' of science to a growing number of visitors, new and sustainable funds must be made available. Only with dependable funding will we be able to continue to inspire the scientists of the future."


"'It is disappointing and immensely frustrating. Most science centres run themselves efficiently and effectively, balancing their fundamental learning mission with the need to be commercially astute.

They manage to broadly balance the books on a day-to-day basis, but they simply cannot find the large sums required for capital renewal. And without it, they will eventually wither and die.

I would urge the government to establish a fund for this purpose. No one is asking for automatic handouts. Applications would be collaborative and peer reviewed, and the lessons learnt would benefit the sector as a whole."


"Science centres provide a unique place where children, schools and families can find out about science. They make science accessible, engage the general public and stimulate informed debate.

We believe high-quality science centres have an important role in delivering informal learning - a key part of the government's science and society agenda.

We are disappointed by the decision not to establish a dedicated funding stream and hope it will not prevent the government from continuing to partner with the best science centres to ensure their long-term sustainability.

There is also an important message for science centres here about the need to collaborate more effectively and to collect comparable and consistent data."