BS So could you say a little bit about what that means for Techniquest to
be rooted in the community?
HW Well Techniquest is, closely rooted in the schools community.
One of the, the other distinguishing features of Techniquest is, this close
collaboration between non-formal education and formal education back in schools
and, existing to support the work of teachers. That's obviously a pragmatic
thing because you can't get anyone else during the week in term time. But
it's also, I mean we have 9 teachers on the staff, it must be, must be more
than that, because there are more than there are in the education department.
We have a large number of teachers on the staff, put a huge amount of money
into developing programmes for schools. So we're based in the education community,
in that respect. At the same time at the weekends, it's a place that families
come to visit. For the local community there are specific - we have evenings
for the community here, but we also have free admission to the local, 3, 4
local schools, St. Cuthbert's, St. Mary the Virgin, Dockside Community School, and the,
school with the mosque. And that, again, that's pragmatic, because we're free
to them after 3 o'clock when most, or after 2, 2:30, I'm not sure of the figures
but we're free after, to them after a certain time in the afternoon. No other
school can get the kids here and get them back fast enough, to take advantage
of that time, but it gives us an opportunity to try out programmes with them
to work with them. The helpers do the, the reading programme, "Listening to
Reading" with kids over in Dockside Community School. And it just builds, I mean it's a
good way to make sure you don't get bricks through your windows as well. But,
when things that are, meet the mission, meet things that are pragmatic then,
that's a double pay-off, and I'm, very keen on double pay-offs.
