The ASDC Board of Trustees has recruited three new trustees to support ASDC and the team to grow and thrive. Thank you to everyone who sent in applications, the trustees were delighted by the response and the number of people wanting to work with our network.
At the recent AGM Chair of Trustees Steven Breslin and ASDC Chief Executive Shaaron Leverment welcomed the new trustees, as well as those standing for re-election, and thanked the outgoing trustees Chas Bishop, Hermione Cockburn and Jenni Chambers who have all been incredibly supportive over many years!
New ASDC trustees
From left to right: Bipon Bhakri, Abisola Fafolu and Steve Scott
Meet our new trustees:
Bipon Bhakri, Finance and Resources Director, National Space Centre
Bipon's manifesto:
"After two years of working at the National Space Centre, and engaging with colleagues across the sector, I believe it’s a good time to join the ASDC board and help continue the good work it has been doing to raise awareness of the importance of science and STEM related education with the wide range of stakeholders.
I've worked in the construction industry for many years, supporting the educational agenda including developing engagement programmes and qualifications, attracting young people to the construction sector and delivering over 10,000 national apprenticeships a year. I have good transferable experience of the challenges and opportunities facing the ASDC network to get visitors and schools excited about science, and I am keen to use my experience to help secure the long term success of the network."
Abi Fafolu, Founder, Lit Laboratory (Lab) and Civil Servant
Abi's manifesto:
"My passion, like that of the ASDC and its partners, is to engage the public with science.
I commit to helping the ASDC and its partners to reach into more communities, understand their perspectives and increasingly benefit as many people as possible.
With my experience in policy, strategy, and innovative public engagement with science, I will champion new ways to present science, and for the public to interact with it, including navigating digital technologies and the internet."
Steve Scott, Public Engagement Lead, UK Research and Innovation
Steve's manifesto:
"Some parts of our society have continuously been overlooked and excluded from engaging with science and in some cases negatively affected by their experiences of research. I feel that science centres are cornerstones for improving this relationship by providing safe spaces for exploration and open, honest discussions about how research contributes to our everyday lives and tackles big issues that matter to people, from climate change to health disparities. Science centres are innovative and progressive and there is much that other sectors can learn from how they have built strong connections with their local communities and adapted their approaches to reach diverse and underrepresented groups. I want to champion the innovative work of science centres and ensure it is valued as a vital component of the R&I ecosystem."
The board of trustees play a vital role ensuring ASDC has a clear strategy, and that current activities and goals align with the vision for a society where science is accessible, inclusive and valued by all as a fundamental part of everyday life.