Ecsite-uk
Minutes of the 2004 AGM
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Place: National Marine Aquarium, Plymouth
Date: 8 September 2004
1 Opening of the meeting
Kelvin Boot, director of the National Marine Aquarium, welcomed all Ecsite members. The meeting was chaired by John Durant, chair of Ecsite-uk. It was minuted by Melanie Quin (executive director).
2 Apologies for absence
Committee members sending apologies:
Tristram Besterman, Manchester Museum
Gail Bromley, RBG Kew
Roland Jackson, the BA, represented by John Gagg
Paul Jennings, Sensation (Ecsite-uk Treasurer)
Sally Montgomery, W5
All other Committee members were present, together with some 20 members.
3 Minutes AGM 2003
The Minutes of the Manchester AGM, 12 September 2003 at the Manchester Museum, were approved.
4 Chair's report
John Durant reported on the four points that were Ecsite-uk's aims at its establishment in 2001:
- a major capital fund for the refurbishment of science centres and their exhibitions was established, jointly by the Millennium Commission, Wellcome Trust and Wolfson Foundation. The £33 million 'ReDiscover' fund has made first- and second-round grants, and third-round grants will be announced next week. All work funded by grants is to be completed by the time the Millennium Commission winds up in 2005/06,
- national programmes have been funded (grant applications made by Ecsite-uk) and are being delivered by collaboration partners locally/regionally UK-wide. These include 'Go For It! With sciZmic science' and 'Science in Collections', both funded by Copus. Thanks and congratulations were expressed to Drs Rosalind Mist and Louise Webb, project managers,
- advocacy has been conducted with reference to the agendas of the three key spending departments: DfES, DTI (OST) and DCMS. We have held meetings with politicians, civil servants, and key decision makers to inform the Government Spending Review. Lobbying at Westminster and in the devolved administrations is beginning to bear fruit:
In England, Government announced in March funding for five millennium centres: £2 million, spread over three financial years, 2003/04 to 2005/06. The funding comes 50:50 from OST and DfES. Officials are now considering ways in which longer-term funding might be made available, to established as well as millennium centres,
In Scotland, the Scottish Executive announced in June a 2-year package of £7 million for four science centres (GSC, Sensation, Our Dynamic Earth, Satrosphere), drawing from existing budget lines. The apparent intention is now to identify a distinct SDC budget line, since the centres clearly meet the objectives of the S.E. for 'excellence, engagement, education'. This level of support, and the inclusion of the long-established Satrosphere, should give leverage in the rest of the UK,
In Wales the situation is 'as was': Techniquest continues to receive approx 30% of annual operating expenditure from the Welsh Assembly
In Northern Ireland, W5's position is being assessed and resolution is expected soon.
- members' communication and information needs are addressed through www.ecsite-uk.net and the monthly e-Newsletter, as well as the quarterly Ecsite (Europe) newsletter. Occasional Specialist Seminars provide opportunity for discussion by senior staff of specialist topics, eg (in 2004) Evaluation, Fundraising, Collaboration. Thanks and appreciation were expressed to Rachel Simmons, Admin Manager, Martin Glancy, Webmaster, our colleagues in the Brussels office (Walter Staveloz and Michaël Renvillard), and to Melanie Quin in London.
John then gave a public vote of thanks to Colin Johnson, who was Ecsite-uk's first Chair and who had a week previously retired from Techniquest. He voiced members' sincere thanks and warm appreciation for Colin's unstinting service in Ecsite-uk's 'launch' years. On behalf of the Committee, he presented Colin with a copy of Julian Rathbone's 'Birth of a Nation' inviting him to enjoy fiction in his new-found free time.
5 Treasurer's report
In the Treasurer's absence, John Gagg (the BA director of finance and administration) reported that finances have remained generally positive: there is a considerable portfolio of grant-based projects, but the relationship with OST and the core funding they provide remains crucial. The Committee should be watchful of the demands on the Executive Director, and be prepared to invest in the central office if it expands services further.
Ecsite-uk has been proactive in seeking, identifying and pursuing strategies that will give it long-term financial sustainability and these efforts are to be praised and supported by the activities of all Committee members.
John thanked the BA for hosting the Ecsite-uk office in the Wellcome Wolfson Building, and for John Gagg's financial administration. The Meeting approved the 2003 accounts.
6 Elections to the committee
Ecsite-uk's statutes specify a Committee composed of the Chair, between 8 and 10 members, and the chief executive of the BA. With Colin Johnson's retirement, the AGM was presented with two candidates for election, and for re-election.
Colin Johnson - founding Chair, elected in 2001 - is due to retire in 2004, so is not eligible for a second term as Chair, but stood for election as an ordinary Committee member, or 'past-Chair'. This mirrors the Ecsite (Europe) system, where the President serves a term as 'immediate-past-president'.
In post
1. John Durant, At-Bristol, Chair
2. Gail Bromley, RBG Kew
3. Sally Hall, Intech, Winchester
4. Tristram Besterman, The Manchester Museum
5. Linda Conlon, Life science centre, Newcastle
6. Sally Montgomery, W5, Belfast
7. Gillian Pearson, The Oxford Trust
8. Roland Jackson, the BA
For re-election to the Committee
9. Paul Jennings, Sensation, Dundee
10. Stuart Monro, Our Dynamic Earth, Edinburgh
For election
11. Heather Mayfield, Science Museum, London
12. Peter Trevitt, Techniquest, Cardiff
John invited Heather Mayfield and Peter Trevitt to present themselves to the meeting.
The AGM unanimously approved the election and re-election of the Committee members.
7 Action Plan 2004/05
John Durant and Melanie Quin summarised Ecsite-uk's four-point plan.
- Funding for science centres/museums: the ReDiscover fund will cease to exist at the conclusion of Round-4. The Ecsite-uk Committee will discuss 'how was it for us', and John and Melanie will seek a meeting with the new lottery operator - Big Lottery Fund - to suggest future funding for our sector on the ReDiscover model,
- National programmes: a consortium bid to develop/tour three travelling exhibitions, led by Ecsite-uk, has been submitted to ReDiscover Round-3. If successful this will help serve members temporary-exhibition needs for 4-5 years from end 2005. Sciencewise is the new OST grant scheme, launched on 6 September as part of the Government's 10-year framework for science. We will invite expressions of interest in joining a consortium bid - the scheme specifically welcomes collaborative projects,
- Advocacy: Committee members in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland will pursue the lobbying strategy for long-term funding for members with the devolved administrations. At Westminster, the task is to secure public sector support, long term, for all independent science centres - not only those funded by the Millennium Commission,
- Communication and information services: a new logo for Ecsite and for national chapters (E-UK, E-D, E-NL) will be unveiled at the Ecsite Annual Conference in Barcelona, 4-6 November. This will inform a revamp of our website, when navigation will also be addressed. E-news will continue to appear monthly. Specialist Seminars will be organised to address members' 'hot topics': 'Outreach/inreach', and 'Professional training for leadership' are contenders.
8 Issues of collaboration on 'engagement' programming
Invited by the Chair, Lindsay Sharp, director of NMSI, presented to the meeting the opportunity for national initiatives that now exists as part of the Government's new 10-year framework for science, and the need to tease out what OST funding is available beyond that earmarked for Sciencewise. He invited a discussion of 'what we mean - or wish to mean - by 'public engagement'', with a view to producing ideas for collaboration.
Discussion was animated, and 'engagement programming' was generally agreed to centre on contemporary science and science- and technology- based issues. Given time constraints, the meeting approved the Chair's proposal that a Task Group be drawn from the Committee to canvas opinion, gather ideas for collaboration, circulate outline proposals to potential partner organisations, and lead in seeking partnership funding.
9 Ecsite-uk AGM 2004
The next AGM will take place during the BA annual festival, 4-9 September 2005, in Dublin.