Partner Article

Funding paves way for new visitor experience at Life Science Centre

Funding paves way for science lab visitor experience at Life Science Centre.

Life Science Centre, Newcastle has secured flagship funding of £425,000 over two years from Biffa Award to develop a new ‘one of a kind’ science laboratory experience that will allow visitors to ‘step into the shoes’ of working scientists and carry out real experiments.

Planned to open in March 2015, ‘You, the Scientist’ will see the creation of a laboratory area within the Science Centre where families, school groups and adults can explore how real science is done in in modern-day research labs, meet working scientists and assist in research projects taking place in the region’s universities and research facilities.

Biffa Award is a multi-million pound fund that helps to build communities and transform lives through awarding grants to community and environmental projects across the UK. The project, which has a working title of ‘You, the Scientist’, was funded under Biffa Award’s ‘Cultural Facilities’ category and will provide a permanent exhibition area where people can engage with science.

Linda Conlon, chief executive of Life, said: “We’re thrilled to have secured Flagship funding from Biffa Award to develop this new and exciting facility for our visitors. In today’s technology-fuelled society, Science Centres have evolved to be places where visitors come to ‘do’ science rather than find out about it. With You, the Scientist, we’re taking this a step further to make Life a place to go to ‘be’ a scientist.”

The practical activities will range from ‘gateway’ experiences, such as using microscopes and pipettes, to structured investigations where visitors follow a multi-stage set of instructions to answer a specific question. Support for these scientists of the future will be provided by Life’s team of ‘Science Explainers’, who will teach formal workshops to schools, present family science shows and assist visitors in the exhibition.

When awarding the funding, Life Trust impressed Biffa Award with their one of a kind, innovative family attraction.

Gillian French, Biffa Award Programme Manager, said: “The Flagship Scheme is an opportunity to award funding to projects that have something unique and exciting that no other project in the region can offer. We received 38 good quality applications for the Flagship Scheme, but we are delighted for the International Centre for Life on their success. Their inspirational You, the Scientist project will create a resource that will be enjoyed by the local community as well as creating a fantastic experience for visitors.”

For more information about the Biffa Award scheme, visit www.biffa-award.org

Ends.

Media contact: Nicola McIntosh, Communications Manager, Centre for Life

T: 0191 243 8209 E: Nicola.mcintosh@life.org.uk M: 07941801552

Twitter: scienceatlife Facebook: scienceatlife

Notes to Editors:

Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts

Since 1997, the Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts (RSWT) has been awarding grants to environmental and community projects under the fund name Biffa Award. The fund administers money donated by Biffa Group Ltd, a leading integrated waste management business.

Biffa Group Ltd

Under the Landfill Tax Regulations 1996, landfill operators like Biffa Group Ltd are liable for taxes on waste deposited in landfill sites. The Landfill Communities Fund allows them to donate a small percentage of their tax liability to projects working to improve communities living within the vicinity of landfill sites. To date, Biffa Award has awarded grants totalling more than £145 million to thousands of worthwhile projects. www.biffa-award.org

Landfill Tax and the Landfill Communities Fund

Any waste that is discarded which cannot be reused, reprocessed or recycled may ultimately be disposed of in a landfill site. To encourage Landfill site Operators (LOs) to re-use, recycle, recover more value from waste and use more environmentally friendly methods of waste disposal, Landfill Tax is charged on each tonne of waste sent to landfill.

LOs are able to claim a credit (currently 5.1%) against their landfill tax liability to support a wide range of community and environmental projects in the vicinity of their landfill sites through the Landfill Communities Fund (LCF). The LCF is regulated by ENTRUST on behalf of HM Revenue & Customs, and the projects are delivered by enrolled Environmental bodies (EBs).

Since its inception in 1996, over £1.3 billion has been spent on more than 50,000 projects across the UK. For further information, please visit www.entrust.org.uk or see HMRC’s general guide to Landfill Tax.

About Life:

Life opened in May 2000 in Newcastle upon Tyne and comprises biomedical research laboratories, NHS fertility and genetic health clinics, schools’ teaching laboratories and a public science centre, supported by a range of business activities. Research groups based at Life include the Mitochondrial Research Group (MRG) whose projects include work exploring brain functioning and neurological disorders in partnership with Newcastle University Institute of Neuroscience. Life also has strong links to other relevant researchers at regional universities particular Northumbria University with whom Life has a formal partnership agreement. It is a core member of the Newcastle Gateshead Cultural Venues consortium, with whom many diversity and skills development programmes are delivered.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Nicola McIntosh .