The museum's mission is: to illustrate for everyone the importance of the sea, ships, time and the stars and their relationship with people.

1.  EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

  1.  Science centres, especially those which focus on astronomy and can answer questions about the nature of the universe and the origins of life, have an important role to play in stimulating the interest of people who have had little formal science education.

  2.  Science centres provide opportunities for involving the scientific community in public engagement activity.

  3.  Having inspiring displays and focusing on what scientists actually do can help to attract young people to careers in science and technology.

  4.  There is a strong demand from schools for programmes which explain scientific ideas and their importance in the modern world.

  5.  In a museum context part of the regular funding from DCMS can be used to support science centres.

  6.  Capital expenditure in setting up the astronomy centre at Greenwich was supported by public bodies, including the Heritage Lottery Fund, DCMS and the Science and Technology Facilities Council, along with charitable trusts and private individuals. About 60% of the funding came from statutory and government sources and about 20% from individuals. See Appendix 1 for details.

  7.  Running costs are being met from regular museum funds, but any increase in the range or number of programmes will require additional financial support.

  8.  Regular maintenance and updating of the displays is essential and costly.

2.  THE ROLE OF SCIENCE CENTRES

  1.  The purpose of audience development in relation to Astronomy Centre at Greenwich is to increase the number and range of key audiences in keeping with the overall NMM stated objective of maximizing access and inspiration for users, most notably by:

(a)  Increasing the number of school-age children visiting the Museum.

(b)  Widening participation across socio-economic and culturally diverse groups.

(c)  Providing accessible interpretation and improving the quality of the experience for all audiences.

(d)  Extending access through lifelong learning, e-learning resources and outreach.

  2.  Science centres provide public and school visitors with valuable access to scientists involved in active research, furthering the need to improve public engagement with the science sector. Given the changes in the secondary curriculum, particularly those coming into play in 2008, this is essential for the delivery of the new programmes of study.

  3.  Opportunities for out-of-school activities provide teachers and pupils with access to knowledge and resources they would not ordinarily have access to. Science centres provide valuable opportunities to engage students and maintain their interest in science.

  4.  Many science teachers in schools, especially primary schools, are not specialists and they find access to up-to-date information very helpful.

  5.  Astronomy programmes in the new planetarium help to bring alive the subjects of astronomy and astro-physics, with both recreations of the night sky and photographs from the latest space missions. City-dwellers cannot see any but the brightest stars and planetarium shows demonstrate the wonder of the night sky which can be seen away from areas dominated by street lighting.

  6.  A historic site such as that at Greenwich, where pioneering astronomy was practised for nearly three centuries, is especially helpful in getting across the incremental nature of science—that today's achievements depend on a long history of scientific inquiry and practice.

  7.  The sense of perspective provided by having a modern science centre on an historic site, with original instruments still in place, also appeals to adult audiences in a way which some conventional science centres may find harder to achieve.

  8.  The newly-opened displays at Greenwich were informed by extensive market research with both current and potential audiences. The results showed that science centres, especially if they have good hands-on displays and access to qualified staff who can answer questions, are attractive to both family audiences and school groups.

  9.  Attractive science centres are seen as a good way of interesting children and young people in science subjects and the potential they offer for interesting careers.

3.  FUNDING FROM CENTRAL GOVERNMENT

  1.  The astronomy centre at Greenwich received £1.3 million government funding for capital expenditure from Department for Culture, Media and Sport, to repair and refurbish the Grade II* listed Victorian South Building.

  2.  Running costs from maintenance and staff are being met from the regular funding from DCMS for the National Maritime Museum.

4.  FUNDING FROM OTHER BODIES

  1.  The remaining capital expenditure came from:

(a)  Other public bodies:

(i)  Heritage Lottery Fund (£6.78 million).

(ii)  Millennium Commission.

(iii)  The Science and Technology Facilities Council (through the then Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council).

(b)  Trusts and Foundations—Further details are given in Appendix 1, but the principal contributions came from:

(i)  Basil Samuel Charitable Trust.

(ii)  Garfield Weston Foundation.

(iii)  Sir John Fisher Foundation.

(iv)  Wolfson Trust.

(c)  Corporate Donors:

(i)  Accurist.

(ii)  Lloyd's Register Educational Trust.

(iii)  National Physical Laboratory.

(d)  Individual Donors—Further details are given in Appendix 1, but the principal contributions came from:

(i)  Peter Harrison Foundation.

(ii)  Weller Settlement Fund.

(e)  General Public:

(i)  Many donations came from visitors and other members of the public who contributed to the Museum's Universal Appeal, launched in May 2004 and chaired by Peter Snow.

(f)  Further details of the principal funders are given in Appendix 1. There were also some contributions in kind from manufacturers and suppliers.

5.  FUTURE LONG-TERM SUPPORT

  1.  Additional funding will need to be found for future updating of the displays, interactive exhibits, planetarium shows and the replacement of equipment which becomes worn out. In the absence of central government funding the Museum will need to approach potential sponsors, as it did for the initial funding. However, it may prove more difficult to raise money for renewal, since a completely new facility is generally more attractive to sponsors.

  2.  Raising funds from sponsors requires a staff team dedicated to this purpose, which in itself incurs costs. Such costs are easier for large institutions to bear.

  3.  Any expansion of the Educational programmes above present levels will require additional staff. This is an area where central government could play a major role, as trusts and corporations are generally more interested in providing new facilities than in meeting ongoing running costs.

June 2007