Schools and visitors from across the region got a rare opportunity to get up close with the Cockcroft Institute researchers and to some of the world’s most groundbreaking technology at Daresbury Laboratory.
A total of 1,300 schoolchildren visited the site over two days on 10th – 11th July, and more than 5,000 visitors from across the North West gathered on the 15th July 2023, for an awe-inspiring Open Day.
Its first major public event for seven years, the event, sponsored by IBM and Eviden, offered an up-close experience with some of the research and development carried out at the Cockcroft Institute.
Scientists, engineers, technicians, and businesses from the Institute participated in the Daresbury Open Week, presenting meticulously designed activities to enthuse visitors of all ages, giving talks and offering tours of the facilities.
The exhibits included models of particle accelerators and detectors, as well as interactive demonstrations with magnets, vacuum and cryogenics.
The Institute itself hosted the award-winning Tactile Collider exhibit, and a Coding Zone, where visitors could try their hands in Python, Arduino and other languages to control robots.
Many labs, including the CLARA bunker, were opened up to the public, giving them a unique opportunity to see a real particle accelerator.
The event was a perfect opportunity to inspire and encourage young visitors, sparking their interest in becoming our next generation of scientists, engineers, and technicians.
Importantly, it was a chance to explain the many routes to a science career, such as university studies or through an apprenticeship, with apprentices on hand to chat and answer questions.
Phill Day, Public Engagement Manager at STFC’s Daresbury Laboratory, and the event technical lead said: “A key part of our mission is to share our exciting work with schools and the public, showing people of all ages how science impacts our everyday lives, and particularly to inspire our next generations that a career in science could be for them.”