The Royal Institution (Ri) has today launched a new fundraising campaign to raise £20 million in support of its charitable activities, over the next four years.
Through its ‘Be the Spark’ campaign the independent, 225-year-old charity is seeking transformational support for four funds to enable radical change to the scale of its reach and social impact, in the UK and around the world.
The Ri believes engagement in science begins with a spark, with its programmes and activities designed to capture the imagination and curiosity of people of all ages, starting from early childhood.
In the last financial year the Ri delivered 330 inspirational Science in Schools shows for free to UK schools – a 45% increase on the previous year – but received applications from over 1000 schools, with no option but to decline two-thirds of them. In post-show feedback, 96% of teachers reported that students' knowledge and understanding had increased, while 94% said that attitudes to science had become more positive.
Greater support would have powered the Ri to treble the number of students benefitting from invaluable additional support for their science education, from 100,000 students to 300,000 students.
Katherine Mathieson, Director of the Royal Institution, said: “As a charity we are determined to tackle the preventable barriers to opportunities to access and enjoy science, to light a spark of curiosity in young people, and to take science to global audiences.
“Demand for our charitable activities is increasing and as we receive no government funding, we need support to radically grow the scale of our social impact, in the UK and around the world.
“Thanks to the commitment of a number of generous funders, at launch we have raised more than a third of our target.
“We are now appealing to individuals, businesses and grant-giving organisations to power our vital work; to be that spark, and to join us on an exciting journey to enrich many more lives through the best engagement with science.”
Through the Be the Spark campaign the Ri is seeking transformational support for four complementary funds to continue inspiring, educating, and celebrating scientific discovery for generations to come:
Inspiring Generations with a target of £6 million – Enhancing the programmes that ignite a spark of curiosity for science in young people
Science Global with a target of £3 million – Sustaining programming with a global reach and creating innovative solutions to bring science to global audiences.
Preserve and Protect with a target of £6 million – Protecting our heritage and enriching the future to ensure the Ri remains a symbol of science and public engagement for future generations.
Zero Ready with a target of £5 million – tackling complex challenges in reducing our environmental impact through modernisation and retrofit, and supporting the UK’s global environmental leadership.
More information on the Ri’s charitable impact – including free Ri Masterclasses for students who may not be able to afford similar paid for opportunities, free Theatre tickets for NHS workers and those on low income, and free access for everyone to the Ri’s internationally significant museum showcasing the UK’s rich heritage of scientific advance – is available from the 2023/24 Impact Report on the Ri website.