LSTM is celebrating an award of just under £145,000 from the National Lottery Heritage Fund. The funding will support an exciting programme of community events, that bring to life the school’s heritage and history, through the lens of people living in the city now.
The National Lottery support has been secured as part of LSTM’s 125th anniversary celebrations; the school is using the occasion to reflect upon, and engage, a range of audiences with LSTM’s heritage, history, and work.
Elli Wright, LSTM Public Engagement Manager, who is leading the project said: “I am delighted that we have been awarded the funds from the National Lottery Heritage Fund. The project is fantastic opportunity to take LSTM’s history and heritage into Liverpool communities giving them the chance to reflect upon its history through their lenses and lived experiences. Telling the incredible and thought-provoking stories of LSTM’s past influencers and present-day scientists, we hope this will be a platform to inspire the next generation of global health scientists”
LSTM would like to thank National Lottery players for their support, in enabling this important project to go ahead.
The project reveals the rich tapestry of LSTM’s backstory, alongside exciting and innovative community events including: a travelling pop-up museum; a hands-on action research lab, with family-friendly interactive activities connected to LSTM's main research areas - vectors, microbiology, public and travel; a ‘future pioneers’ STEAM programme for Liverpool schools, in collaboration with schoolteachers and Everton in the Community; the creation of interactive toolkits containing fun and enticing science projects for the children to explore. Community groups taking part in the programme include Everton in the Community, Liverpool LifeScience UTC, National Museums Liverpool, and BlackFest.
The development and dissemination of skills is a key objective for those taking part. From the creatives making the pop-up museum and loans boxes, student archive assistants, to the undergrad and postgrad students whose projects will explore LSTM’s history and heritage.
The project is designed to increase public awareness and engagement in LSTM's past, present and future using the stories of past and present scientists. From LSTM’s Liverpool origins to partnerships and medical breakthroughs in Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia, via trailblazing female scientists like Alwen Evans and Dr Letitia Obeng - the first Ghanaian woman to graduate with a bachelor's degree and doctorate in science. LSTM will also celebrate the work of present-day academics, who are pushing the boundaries of scientific thought and expectations, in Liverpool and globally.
The project reflects on how these earlier scientists have impacted on LSTM's scientists today, and how this legacy is addressing the major health challenges facing humanity now and in the next 125 years, inspiring the next generation of scientists.
You can find out more about where the travelling museum will be in 2023 by following LSTM on social media (@LSTMnews on Twitter and LSTM on Facebook). The LSTM 125 website has information about the associated 125th anniversary events.
About The National Lottery Heritage Fund
Using money raised by the National Lottery, we Inspire, lead and resource the UK’s heritage to create positive and lasting change for people and communities, now and in the future. www.heritagefund.org.uk.
Follow @HeritageFundUK on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and use #NationalLotteryHeritageFund