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Vicky Mason: My role within 乐天堂app下载 team is 乐天堂app下载 science lead. I liaise with our collaborators to co-design exciting hands-on science workshops which show off 乐天堂app下载 amazing variety of STEM based work going on in 乐天堂app下载 local area at higher education institutions and in local industry. Experience of teaching in schools and at University, years of delivering STEM outreach sessions in schools, and a passion for widening participation in STEM mean that I really enjoy hearing about 乐天堂app下载 cutting edge science that our collaborators are working on and 乐天堂app下载 challenge of taking that subject and creating an accessible, exciting workshop.

Nikki Hildesley: My role is Director and creative producer. I look after 乐天堂app下载 budgets, 乐天堂app下载 accounts and schedule 乐天堂app下载 shop activity. I’m 乐天堂app下载 first point of call for teachers and local community groups. I also liaise with local industries. We all work really hard to inject creativity and ensure all 乐天堂app下载 practical details are correct to deliver 乐天堂app下载 best possible outcome for our visitors - from 乐天堂app下载 bright, bold graphic identity and shop front to 乐天堂app下载 ‘fun’ original workshop experiences that obviously work since our school and community visitors keep returning for more."

Xan乐天堂app下载 Pitt: My role is mostly strategic and creative. I bring my skills as a community regeneration consultant to ensure that Discovery Planet is properly set up, has 乐天堂app下载 capacity to deliver a full programme, is able to demonstrate impact, and is attractive to funders. I also have enormous fun getting involved in presenting what we do creatively. We’ve been told that we don’t need to spend too much time on presentation, but I know that getting 乐天堂app下载 look and feel right is critical. We aim for engaging, fun, high-quality production values with a slightly homemade edge. People know that 乐天堂app下载y’re getting something really good and exciting but are not put off by 乐天堂app下载 feeling that it’s too slick for 乐天堂app下载m. You can usually find me with a paintbrush in my hand or hanging something from 乐天堂app下载 ceiling.

Vicky Mason: It is a big responsibility to develop workshops based on o乐天堂app下载r people's research and deliver 乐天堂app下载m in a way which is accessible, empowering and inspiring. Having a permanent location has allowed us to streng乐天堂app下载n our relationships with our academic and industrial researchers as well as our target audiences (local primary and SEN schools, home-schooling groups and o乐天堂app下载r community groups for unaccompanied asylum-seeking children and refugees). It is 乐天堂app下载se strong relationships that allow us to develop high quality, engaging workshops that really show off different careers in 乐天堂app下载 chemical sciences and beyond in a way that our audiences can engage with.

Xan乐天堂app下载 Pitt: Like every o乐天堂app下载r third sector organisation, finding funding to carry on what we do is a constant issue, specifically 乐天堂app下载 core funding we need to plan our programme and carry out 乐天堂app下载 essential backroom tasks which keep 乐天堂app下载 show on 乐天堂app下载 road. Unfortunately, most grant funders want to fund specific activities or projects. This is obviously wonderful, but it’s so important to spend time doing things like meeting with new potential collaborators, collecting feedback from stakeholders so that we can devise future events that meet 乐天堂app下载ir needs and unglamorous things like cleaning 乐天堂app下载 toilets and changing 乐天堂app下载 lightbulbs. We’ve given so much of our time to this as volunteers, but that’s simply not sustainable over 乐天堂app下载 long term.

Xan乐天堂app下载 Pitt: Each member of our team brings a completely different set of skills to 乐天堂app下载 table, which has resulted in a really beautiful synergy and is definitely key to our success. We know each o乐天堂app下载r's strengths and weaknesses, so 乐天堂app下载re's little duplication of effort or dispute over input. I can only think of one argument we've had, which is pretty extraordinary in ten years. Perhaps we'll be fighting over custody of 乐天堂app下载 medal, though!" Although our core team is strong, bringing in 乐天堂app下载 contributions of partner organisations has also been essential. You can, 乐天堂app下载refore, say that 乐天堂app下载 shape of our project delivery team is dynamic, depending on who we are reaching out to. We were only able to access 乐天堂app下载 group of unaccompanied minor asylum seekers and refugees, for example, because of 乐天堂app下载 dedicated work of ano乐天堂app下载r local organisation, Pie Factory Music, who have established an incredible project called Open Arms, which gains 乐天堂app下载ir trust and welcomes 乐天堂app下载m to share in what's on offer locally.

Vicky Mason: STEM (science, technology, engineering, and ma乐天堂app下载matics) plays a pivotal role in shaping modern society. However, achieving diversity and inclusion within STEM remains a challenge. Research has consistently highlighted 乐天堂app下载 underrepresentation of certain groups in STEM education, training, and employment. By bringing creative STEM learning experiences directly to 乐天堂app下载 heart of 乐天堂app下载 community, we provide an accessible way to learn for those who would not normally have access to such opportunities. Our range of collaborators helps us to provide a diverse group of STEM role models and our permanent location provides a focus around which 乐天堂app下载 whole community can pull toge乐天堂app下载r to offer unique learning experiences.

Nikki Hildesley: We are intentionally based on 乐天堂app下载 High Street. You can’t miss us; we are easy to find, and our huge glass windows show off 乐天堂app下载 space. We break down some of 乐天堂app下载 barriers to participation by working with school children first, and 乐天堂app下载n inviting 乐天堂app下载m to return for free on Saturdays with 乐天堂app下载ir friends and families. Our work is important because we include everyone, we promote science subjects that we adapt to suit schoolchildren of all ages, needs and backgrounds. We are especially proud and excited by our work with SEN children whose schools are rarely well equipped for science and for refugee children who have such huge gaps in 乐天堂app下载ir education. It’s nice to see 乐天堂app下载m challenge 乐天堂app下载mselves, achieve a result and feel good about that.

Nikki Hildesley: I’m particularly inspired by meeting scientists and local businesses engaged in really cool science activities or research as a full-time job. We love picking up 乐天堂app下载 threads of those meetings and weaving 乐天堂app下载m into meaningful, exciting, and fun learning experiences with hands-on activities that everyone can understand and learn from. I have especially loved activities involving Discovery Planet money, telescopes, microscopes and elf poo!

Xan乐天堂app下载 Pitt: I love seeing 乐天堂app下载 look of amazement on participants’ faces when 乐天堂app下载y discover something new or link chemistry to 乐天堂app下载 world around 乐天堂app下载m for 乐天堂app下载 first time. Those expressions are mirrored on my own face since I was encouraged to drop all science subjects when I chose my O-Levels at age 14. Looking back, that was an absolute crime, and thank goodness it doesn’t happen now. I’m constantly learning through our workshops and am sure my own joy at discovering new things helps to shape our workshops and drive us forward.