Staff and volunteers at Didcot Railway Centre in Oxfordshire are celebrating the award of a ReDiscover grant of £134,694 to create a mobile science exhibition together with a learning centre.
The project will be started in two specially adapted railway coaches at the centre and is aimed at schools, colleges and general visitors. The award will enable children to engage with science and find out how it affects their lives.
ReDiscover is the renewal fund for science centres and museums across the UK, funded by the Millennium Commission and major charities.
The opportunity for children in Didcot and the surrounding area to experience hands-on science has been made possible with part of a £7.3 million grant.
The exhibition will follow a historical trail of railway science and engineering through interactive exhibits and displays. The Learning Centre is designed to be flexible, with two teaching areas and information panels.
“The project has just started,” said Jeanette Howse, marketing executive at the centre. “We will be stripping the carriages out, as well as the seating, and drawings and plans have been made of what the surrounding area will look like, including the platform and ramps for the children to gain access to the coaches.”
The Science, Learning and Railways project is a partnership between the Great Western Society and local science and engineering schools. Support is being received from some of the well-known science and technology centres in Oxfordshire.
With its challenging interactive exhibits, the project will provide a valuable education resource in the county, be an exciting exhibition for visitors and provide a link with all the science and engineering at the Railway Centre.
“There will be lots of interactive elements, including touch-screens and hands-on models. We’ve had help from the National Rail Museum in York and also guidance from children in local schools,” said Jeanette Howse.
The work on Science, Learning and Railways will be started without delay in two former British Rail Mark 2 carriages purchased from London Underground and is due to be completed and ready to open at the end of December 2005.
The £34 million ReDiscover fund is a joint venture between the Millennium Commission, the Wellcome Trust and the Wolfson Foundation and represents an innovative partnership between the National Lottery and major charitable funders.
It was set up to support institutions that promote public understanding of science to renew their science, education and technology exhibitions to keep up with advances in science and technology and continue to provide high quality education.
Emily Sands is the 24 Hour Museum Renaissance Student Writer in the South Eastern region. Renaissance is the groundbreaking initiative to transform England's regional museums, led by MLA, the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council.
Great Western Society, Didcot Railway Centre, Didcot, OX11 7NJ, Oxfordshire, England
T: 01235 817200
Open: We’re open Saturdays and Sundays all year, and daily between these dates:
Daily
27 December 2007 to 1 January 2008,
16 to 24 February,
5 to 20 April,
24 May to 1 June
21 June to 7 September
25 October to 2 November
27 December to 1 January 2009
Steamdays with rides on the trains throughout the year including Bank Holidays, all weekends 28 June-31 August, Wednesdays 23 July-27 August and some other weekends and special events.
Opening Times
Weekends and Steamdays 10.30am-5pm.
Other days, also January, February, November & December 10am-4pm.
Last admission 30 minutes before closing time.
Children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult
