Wonderseekers pilots travel bursary scheme to help more schoolchildren access inspiring STEM experiences..

Trosnant School visit Winchester Science Centre on the travel bursary scheme pilot.

Wonderseekers, the charity behind Winchester Science Centre, has piloted a new travel bursary scheme designed to help schools overcome rising transport costs and enable more children to experience hands-on science learning.

The School Trip Bursary Fund has been developed in response to growing feedback from schools that transport costs are now the biggest barrier to educational visits. Following the pilot phase, Wonderseekers intends to roll out the scheme more widely from September, if funding support can be secured, which would enable even more schools across Hampshire, Dorset, Wiltshire, Berkshire, West Sussex and surrounding areas to engage in science.

Wonderseekers already subsidises visits for schools with higher levels of free school meal eligibility, investing more than £141,000 annually in reduced ticket prices. However, research and feedback from teachers shows that this is no longer enough and transport costs remain a significant challenge. One teacher reported "My headteacher eventually said no because our budget is so stretched that we cannot afford to pay for any children whose parents can't or won't pay. The cost per child, once we had added in coach travel, would have been £26. Coaches are just so expensive!"

The bursary fund is a collaborative partnership, bringing together Wonderseekers' existing ticket subsidies, discounted transport through local coach operator Xelabus and charitable support from local companies to reduce travel costs for schools. Barratt Homes have provided funding to Wonderseekers to enable the pilot scheme to go ahead.

Wonderseekers must now attract further organisations to support the scheme this year, needing to raise £75,000. This level of funding would mean Wonderseekers can enable 22,255 children from schools with the greatest need in the South of England to visit Winchester Science Centre.

Philip Blair, Commercial Manager at Xelabus said “At Xelabus we recognise the importance of school pupils being able to participate in educational experiences at various venues. Travel costs plus admissions can really put a stop to many school visits. We are delighted to partner with Wonderseekers through this scheme, supporting by providing discounted travel.”

Megan Hamlyn, Marketing Manager at Barratt Homes added “Barratt David Wilson Homes has a long-standing relationship with Wonderseekers and its various projects to introduce science and creativity to children and Young Adults. We were only too pleased to support its latest scheme to help more school children access STEM experiences, and it aligns perfectly with our own mission as the UK's leading housebuilder to create opportunity and legacy for future generations. We are so pleased to hear the pilot has been a success so far and look forward to hearing more as we grow our partnership."

The pilot scheme started in March and completed in June, with Winchester Science Centre welcoming their first funded bus trip from Weston Park School, Southampton, in April. Weston Park school described there being “an overwhelming level of engagement from children” and the funding being the enabling factor to their participation. One child from Weston Park exclaimed “this is the best day ever!”

The pilot scheme also brought recent young visitors from Trosnant School in Havant to the science centre with Xela Bus. A pupil summed up the visit with “I enjoyed all the science!”

Every year, more than 40,000 children visit Winchester Science Centre as part of Wonderseekers' STEM School Trip programme. The experience includes a hands-on science workshop, an immersive planetarium show and access to two floors of interactive exhibits designed to build curiosity, confidence and critical thinking skills.

Wonderseekers CEO, Ben Ward said:

"Every child deserves the opportunity to experience the wonder of science beyond the classroom. We know that educational visits can inspire curiosity, raise aspirations and build confidence, but we also know that rising transport costs are making these experiences increasingly difficult for some schools to access.

"Our travel bursary pilot is helping to remove that barrier. We're delighted by the response we've seen so far, but to expand the scheme we need more funding by September so that even more children can benefit from unforgettable STEM learning experiences in the next school year."

The bursary scheme supports Wonderseekers' wider mission to empower children through science and help them make sense of the world around them and their place within it. The charity’s high-quality science experiences help children develop critical thinking, problem-solving and enquiry skills that can benefit them throughout their lives.

For more information about the School Trip Bursary Fund, visit: www.wonderseekers.charity/support-us/corporate-partnerships