The year has seen several new Trustees and Co-opted Members appointed to the Techniquest Board: Phil Pugh, Leighton Davies and Daniel O’Toole become trustees while Sue Wardle, Gerald Stacey and Jack Mansfield join as co-opted members.

Between them, they bring a wealth of energy, commitment and experience to the charity across a range of fields including communications, marketing, legal, finance, commercial and operations.

In a more sombre development, Karen Harris takes over as the new Chair of the Board, following the unexpected death of stalwart Techniquest supporter and renowned education specialist Steve Bowden earlier this year:

“Sadly, our former Chair, Steve Bowden was lost to us earlier this year through his untimely death. I join my fellow Board Members and the whole team at Techniquest in paying tribute to his inspiring leadership, infectious enthusiasm and sound judgement that steered us through some of the most challenging times any of us have known.

“We will miss him enormously; but knowing how much he loved Techniquest and believed in securing its future, spurs us on to achieve all that he dreamed of and more.

“It really is an honour to have taken over as Chair of the Techniquest Board at this exciting time in its development.”

The new trustees are focused on the future of the charity and the promotion of STEM education and cultural experience to support peoples’ wellbeing.

 

To radically transform the science and discovery centre and diversify its audience, the Science Capital project consists of a significant extension, expanding the floor space by 60% and introducing over 50 brand-new exhibits.

The project has been the biggest in nearly 35 years of Techniquest’s existence and has seen them short-listed as finalists in two prestigious Planning and Design awards, to be judged later this month: The RTPI Cymru Awards and the FX International Design Awards.

Visitors can expect a whole range of custom-made, innovative exhibits, including an earthquake simulator, virtual operating table and an underwater remote operated vehicle (ROV). The new exhibits span across five key themes: space, environment, world issues, chemistry and biomedical science. The move will assist in the charity’s aim to embed science into Welsh culture and make Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) accessible for all.

New Trustee Sue Wardle, Client and Communications Director for Capital Law, commented:

“I have been an advocate of Techniquest for a long time and am really delighted to be able to play a part in its future. Techniquest is an amazing resource for Cardiff and Wales. The Science Capital is a really important project with an enormous role to play in the development of STEM skills and in creating unique learning experiences. This makes the Cardiff Life Award in the Education category all the more rewarding for the team at Techniquest.

“I passionately believe that educational and cultural experiences for young people are essential to sustaining innovation, curiosity and wellbeing, all of which will be much needed in the post-Covid world.”

Lesley Kirkpatrick, CEO at Techniquest said:

“Our recently installed exhibits bring a new lease of life into our centre and offer brand-new experiences for our visitors, including much more on offer for adults to explore.

“As an educational charity, the past year has been tough, having to temporarily close our doors for a considerable period of time and face a significant loss of income. Our Board play an incredibly important part in shaping our vision and direction and are always a great driving force in keeping Techniquest relevant to our audiences.”