Written evidence submitted by W5 Belfast

Impact of Covid-19 on the Charity Sector
 

Submission on behalf of W5 (whowhatwherewhenwhy), Belfast

Charity No: NIC10011

Executive Summary

• The aim of this submission is to contextualise the impact of Covid-19 on the sustainability of the charity, W5, as Northern Ireland’s only science and discovery centre promoting STEM engagement and education in Northern Ireland, and to seek government support for W5 and the UK wide science and discovery centre sector to ensure that this lively and successful national network of charitable Science Centres in every city and region of the UK, can be sustained over this unprecedented period. 

• As a charity, W5 engages over 300,000 people each year with all areas of science, from health and the environment to physics and technology. Linking with business, industry and academia to bring innovative, relevant and engaging science experiences to the people of Northern Ireland, W5 provides a vital STEM learning hub for teachers and schools, families and communities, with a particular targeted focus on some of our most disadvantaged communities, ensuring access for all. 

• W5 is the STEM Ambassador Hub for Northern Ireland with a database of over 1,250 professionals with STEM skills who have volunteered to promote STEM in local schools. Over 100,000 young people have been engaged with this initiative from across Northern Ireland and it is a highly valued resource.

• The impact of Covid-19 on the charity’s income means that its long-term survival is under severe threat without additional financial Government support.

1   Background:

1.1  whowhatwherewhenwhy - W5 is Northern Ireland's only purpose-built interactive science and discovery centre, offering a unique experience and educational experience for visitors of all ages.  As a registered charity for educational purposes (Charity No: NIC10011)) and part of Odyssey, Northern Ireland's landmark Millennium Project, W5 provides an extensive resource to engage publics across urban and rural communities countrywide with established, trained, collaborative and passionate professionals.

1.2  W5 receives no recurrent support from local or national government, generating its income primarily from admissions and programming, along with secondary income streams such as its coffee shop, retail, corporate hire and sponsorship, with additional support provided by the Odyssey Trust, itself a registered charity (Charity No: NIC100113). 

1.3  W5's role is to give learners of all ages access to the fun and excitement of finding things out for themselves through first-hand, practical science-based experiences which assist in their understanding of the world around them.  Through a wide range of science and technology themed exhibits, learning experiences and events, W5 reaches across all geographic and demographic communities across Northern Ireland. 

2   Context:

2.0  Northern Ireland has identified STEM as a key driver for the local economy.  Both the Northern Ireland Executive’s “Programme for Government” and the Skills Strategy for Northern Ireland, “Success through Skills – Transforming Futures”, recognise that the future success of the Northern Ireland economy will require increased numbers of skilled workers with Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) qualifications.

2.1  Within this context, W5 as Northern Ireland’s only Science and Discovery Centre, plays a key role in engaging and inspiring over 300,000 people each year, both from the general public and young people through formal and informal education, with science, technology, engineering and maths in all their guises, providing an accessible platform and programmes for all ages and abilities. This includes an extensive reach into areas of social and rural deprivation with targeted co-developed programmes to meet the needs of these communities and engaging them with the STEM pipeline.

2.2  Developing this STEM pipeline, from Nursery and Foundation stage through to A Level and Third Level students, in addition to the wider public requires an ongoing programme of public engagement activities and ensuring that the centre’s content, both exhibit base and programming is relevant, topical and accessible.

2.3  All income streams to support this extensive programme of engagement with STEM in all its guises to support the STEM pipeline for Northern Ireland ceased on 18th March 2020 due to lockdown measures for Covid-19 when the centre closed to the public and all outreach programmes to rural and socially deprived communities were stopped.

3   Financial Impact of Covid-19:

The immediate impact on the organisation has been:

3.1  Closure of the public building and cessation of all public engagement programmes in house and on outreach resulting in an immediate cessation of all income streams, both primary and secondary.

3.2  This has coincided with peak visitor periods, over Easter for general public and families; summer term for school trips in April – June; and anticipated closure over July and August.  This period from April – August 2020 in total accounts for circa 58% of annual visitor numbers (circa 150,000) and circa 43% of income generation amounting to circa £1.4 million lost.

3.3  41 permanent staff have been furloughed. 29 casual members of staff have also been furloughed who will not be entitled to redundancy of to any type of payment once the furlough scheme ends which is of obviously of concern bot to W5 as an employer and to our dedicated staff.

3.4  A small resilience team of nine has been retained, including three dedicated to a ringfenced project, who have themselves taken an immediate 20% reduction in salaries effective from 1st April 2020.  Although the charity has been able to take advantage of the excellent government furlough scheme, even this significantly reduced ongoing salary bill and overheads associated with the charity amount to circa £65,000 / month. 

3.5  With no income source to support ongoing costs the long-term sustainability of the charity and its charitable objectives are under severe threat, and this will not be a sustainable position for the charity post June 2020 unless additional Government financial support can be secured.

4        Additional Impacts of Covid-19             

4.1  To try and ensure that W5 stays in people’s minds throughout this crisis, we are maintaining a digital and social media presence over this period of closure to try and service public engagement with science and technology by offering digital services and producing news about them. However, this does not substitute for hands-on experiences.

4.2  In parallel, although this shutdown period is being used to plan and prepare hygienic and operational procedures that may be needed in the post Covid 19 world, there are significant concerns that even should the current lockdown measures be eased by June 2020, that centres such as W5, which engage in hands-on activities with large numbers of families and young people, will still be under operating restrictions. Possible outcomes from increased restrictions placed on the sector by government could include the need to make significant changes to their admission processes, moving to capacity management, and investing in technology solutions that allow minimal contact.

4.3  The additional concern is the unknown psychological impact of the pandemic on the public who may be reluctant to visit public attractions, large scale gatherings or participate in communal hands-on activities even when restrictions are lifted as there may be an ongoing perceived risk until a vaccine is available or public concerns dissipate. How people will react to hands-on science experiments and tactile exhibits post Covid-19 is currently unknown. What changes in offerings and policies will be necessary?  

5        Summary

• W5 requests that the UK Government take measures to protect this vital charity, that has evolved as an integrated part of the educational and STEM ecosystem in Northern Ireland over the past 20 years.

• As recently reported by the Association of Science and Discovery Centres (ASDC):

‘Science has driven so much of the UK’s COVID-19 response. This is not the time to lose our world-leading Science Centres with staff and expertise in these areas. We are needed now more than ever to help people make sense of what is happening and to inspire future generations of scientists, technology experts, mathematicians and engineers, from epidemiologists and vaccine researchers to climate scientists and modelers.’

• There has never been a more vital time to protect a charitable sector which brings brilliant science, technology, engineering, and maths, to schools, families and communities across the UK.