TSA joins leading voices from the UK’s STEM community calling for government support for vital educational venues

The TSA has joined the Association for Science and Discovery Centres (ASDC), and over 150 leading voices from the UK’s STEM community, in signing an open letter to the Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak, and Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Alok Sharma, calling on the Government to secure the future of the UK’s Science Centres by investing £25 million in emergency resilience funding.

The UK’s network of charitable Science and Discovery Centres deliver inclusive science and technology experiences to children across the country, reaching families and schools in some of our most socio-economically disadvantaged communities. They play a crucial role in inspiring young people with STEM, creating the environmental and science innovators we need for our future, and ensuring the UK stays at the forefront of global R&D and innovation. This world-class network is at risk – revenue streams and visitor numbers have been dramatically reduced by the pandemic.

Commenting on the open letter, Peter Davidson, Executive Director of Tank Storage Association, said: “The message to Government is one of urgency and it is clear – UK Science and Discovery Centres make an incredible contribution to the country’s STEM success. During this time of national emergency, this vital support will ensure that they can continue to provide the backbone of exploratory science education all across the country.”

For more information on the open letter from the ASDC, click here.

A downloadable version of the open letter and supporting documents can be found here.

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Notes to editors

• The Association for Science and Discovery Centres (ASDC) is the national charity that brings together the UK’s major science engagement organisations to inspire young people, families and communities with science. Within our network are over 60 of the nation’s publicly accessible Science Centres, discovery centres, environment centres, science museums and scientific bodies. Together, we strive for a more equitable and sustainable society where science is fully accessible to everyone. Every year in the UK, over 25 million people of all ages and backgrounds choose to engage with science at one of the UK’s Science and Discovery Centres or science museums. Over half are girls and women. Over half, are school-age children. For more information, visit: sciencecentres.org.uk
• The Tank Storage Association (TSA) represents the interests of over 60 member companies engaged in the storage of bulk liquids and the provision of products and services to the sector. Collectively, its members operate over 290 terminals and distribution hubs in the UK and have over 8 million cubic metres of storage capacity in the United Kingdom (UK) and Republic of Ireland (ROI). TSA’s members provide and support an essential interface between sea, road, rail and pipeline logistics for many different substances including transport and heating fuels, chemicals, animal feed and foodstuffs.