Xplore! championed by Wrexham’s MP in Parliament during a STEM learning and careers debate

Wrexham’s MP Sarah Atherton has spoken in a Westminster Hall debate about the importance of Science and Discovery Centres for promoting science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) learning for younger people.

In the debate, Ms Atherton noted her pride in the fact that Wrexham is home to Xplore!, one of twenty nine UK Science and Discovery Centres, and she discussed her visit there last year when the centre reopened in its new town centre home.

Ms Atherton described the centre as “akin to Wonka’s chocolate factory for inquisitive minds” and as a brilliant facility for learning and educational development, and said such centres around the country could be used in the recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic.

The MP explained, “In Wrexham, we have a brilliant science discovery centre called Xplore! It was formerly called Techniquest and I took my child there many times when he was growing up. In September last year I was honoured to be invited to the Xplore! rebrand event at its new location in Wrexham town centre, and to see at first hand its brilliant facilities and demonstrations. I saw children and adults wide-eyed, laughing, playing and learning—indeed, I was one of them. The most accurate analogy I can think of is being let loose in Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory. Xplore! has myriad interactive installations akin to Wonka’s chocolate factory—for inquisitive minds but without the calorie count.”

“I would like the young people of Wrexham to learn and remember that Wockhardt in my constituency has bottled the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine. I want them to be inspired by that. We have numerous pharmaceutical companies here on the Wrexham industrial estate. We have a major hospital, the Maelor, for those who seek a career in healthcare, and brilliant higher education facilities at Wrexham Glyndŵr University and Coleg Cambria, which are able, keen and willing to facilitate STEM education. And we have Xplore! to provide the perfect foundation for the promotion of those careers from an early age.”

The MP raised concerns that in Wales these centres have “fallen through the gaps in respect of income support” saying, “With science and discovery centres having the potential to be such crucial players in the covid recovery education system, their funding model needs to reflect that importance.

“Over the past year, science centres in Wales have struggled. Xplore! has received minimal covid funding from the Welsh Labour Government. Ordinarily, Xplore! receives funding via the Welsh Government’s school programme in order to offer reduced cost visits and workshops. Thankfully, that funding scheme, which was due to end this month, has been extended until early next year. That is most welcome, but what happens in 2022? The fear is that children will lose out not only in terms of the catch-up agenda but on ongoing interactive learning which in turn promotes the take-up of STEM subjects. There is a domino effect.

“We have the opportunity to be forward thinking in our approach to protecting our science and discovery centres. I urge the Welsh Government to contractually embed school visits within the national curriculum for the benefit of future generations of Welsh children.”

In response to the debate, the UK Government Minister for Universities, Michelle Donelan, agreed with Ms Atherton that it was vitally important that these centres survived the pandemic so that they can continue teaching and training young people, pointing to some UK Government support as well: “Visitor attractions, which are not categorised as museums, will continue to benefit from the reduced rate of VAT, which the Government have temporarily applied to visitor attractions, as well as the pan-economic measures such as the coronavirus job retention scheme, Government-backed loans and business rate deferrals.”

Commenting after the debate Sarah Atherton said: “I am really grateful to have been able to support and promote Xplore! here in Wrexham. When I visited last year, I was inspired by the centre and the work it does to promote the STEM sector to young people and I was very pleased to be able to champion it in Parliament.

“In preparing for this debate, I was concerned to hear that Science and Discovery Centres in Wales feel they have fallen through the net in funding from the Welsh Government, so I was also happy to raise this in Parliament in the hopes that this issue might be considered.

“Following on from my question to the Prime Minister earlier this month, I was also thankful to be able to, once again, raise the possibilities for Wrexham’s young people in the STEM sector. I really do think Wrexham has many opportunities in these fields, with Glyndwr University, Coleg Cambria, the Wrexham Maelor and the businesses on the Industrial Estate all contributing to Wrexham’s excellent existing infrastructure in these sectors. Xplore! is an additional part of this local network and it provides a great foundation for the promotion of STEM learning and careers from an early age.”