Our vision: A world where, through the wonder of science, people and planet thrive.
We've been sparking children’s curiosity in science through hands-on science experiences since 1986. In October 2022, we changed our charity name from Winchester Science Centre to Wonderseekers. Our Science Centre remains a hub for science engagement as part of the Wonderseekers family.
Today, our strategy is about creating more equitable access to science and maintaining our reputation for leadership in accessibility. We’ve invested in our team and our Science Centre and reached deeper into communities that needed our support most.
This strategy shows how we're building on our heritage of creating science experiences and our experience in equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) and taking on an environmental agenda in response to climate change.
Our mission: To create a more equitable world where all children can treasure science and are equipped and empowered to improve lives and protect and heal our planet.
Our values:
We're inclusive
We create accessible and inclusive experiences. That's so that all children, whatever barriers they may face, can treasure, participate and experience science in ways that are relevant to them. At Wonderseekers, everyone is welcome and valued, from our audiences to our work family.
We're bold
We want to change lives for the better through science. We are strategic, credible and resilient. We have the confidence to challenge and be challenged, to be innovative and agile and to take managed risks when necessary.
We're here for the planet
We care about our planet and demonstrate this through action and advocacy because sustainability really matters. We choose suppliers carefully, we seek ways to reduce our environmental impact and we use our profile and experiences to influence positive change in others.
We're fun
We share our love for science in ways that are magical, memorable, engaging and uplifting. Science is amazing and exciting, creative and challenging, diverse and everywhere. We really enjoy what we do. We want our staff and those who come in to contact with our Charity to enjoy the experience.
We're open and honest
We are communicators of science and we provide a trusted voice for children. We evaluate what we do, we learn from our successes and failures, and we share our achievements and experiences honestly.
We're collaborative
We achieve more working together, with children and in partnership with others. We find ways to work collaboratively, to bring diverse people, ideas and experiences together and to share information and resources for the benefit of all.
Our key themes:
Be the change
We're committed to increasing opportunities for children to engage with the wonder of science. This is especially for those who are disadvantaged by social and economic deprivation, disability or impairment.
We pledge to grow our own understanding of equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) in science, to become a more diverse charity and to use our experience and platforms to champion change.
Respect. Protect. Action.
There’s a climate emergency. Bold action is needed.
We pledge to use our spaces, experiences and voice to positively engage children, through science, with the natural world and to take action against climate change.
We'll lead by example.
Our objectives:
We'll diversify our reach and grow impact
We'll work to overcome inequality in science by reaching out and supporting children who aren't already engaged. We'll build our capacity and diversify our activity to create more opportunities for children. We'll also use our experience, learning and voice to influence change.
We'll champion equality, diversity and inclusion in science
We'll build on the leadership role we've established in accessibility to champion EDI in science. We'll continue to find new ways to overcome barriers to engagement for children, particularly those with a disability or impairment. We'll also use our profile to call out inequality in science and raise awareness of the value equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) has in and through science.
We'll work with children who need our support the most
We'll deliver long-term community-based programmes and activities to reach children who need our support most. We'll work collaboratively to co-create experiences with them, their schools and their support networks. We'll also build opportunities for children to participate in diverse, repeated and sustained experiences for maximum engagement and impact.
We'll protect our planet and inspire others to do the same
We'll reduce our environmental impact through our operations now and in the future. We'll connect children to nature through science and support them positively in our collective need to tackle climate change and biodiversity loss. We'll also speak out, take positive action and empower children and others to do the same.
