Housing providers and organisations can learn a lot from the solutions Techniquest found when faced with some familiar sounding challenges, says Jon Barnes. We take a look at why ahead of their session at TAI 2017.
Dragons have always been evocative symbols for Welsh people, but for me none has ever had quite the impact of a hissing, juddering, pneumatic one. One of the most vivid memories of my childhood is a visit to Techniquest in Cardiff, and nothing from that visit sticks with me more than hitting the buttons to make the animatronic dragon move (and in the imagination of a young mind, roar as well!).
Now in its 31st year, Techniquest is as iconic in the minds of people in Wales as ever. However, recent announcements about the removal of Welsh Government funding (equivalent to a reduction of 40 per cent total turnover) threatened the viability of the organisation and required urgent action.
Lesley Kirkpatrick, CEO (former director of Prince’s Trust Cymru), has embarked on the implementation of the first phase of an extensive programme of change which impacts on every aspect of the business, including vital work around shifting public perceptions.
Techniquest is more than just a visitor centre. A well-established outreach programme for schools and communities reaches many thousands of families and children every year. This supports a refreshed vision: to be the UK’s leading science discovery centre, regarded as an exemplar of innovative, interactive STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) engagement which brings a sustained supply of young people entering STEM careers.
Techniquest’s success now hinges on an innovative new business plan and crucially, the ability of the Techniquest team to adapt and embrace a new way of working.
Sound familiar?
Reductions in funding, changing public perception, new ways of working and an engagement mission to bring young people into employment: sound familiar at all?
The challenges that Techniquest is facing are remarkably similar to those that Welsh housing needs to find solutions to. If we’re to develop responses to those challenges efficiently, it seems like a no-brainer to learn from organisations outside the sector who have already worked on them.
That’s why CIH Cymru has asked Techniquest to come along to TAI 2017 and share exactly how its programme of change will deliver a sustainable future.
But there’s another underlying lesson to be learned from Techniquest’s story, one that Welsh housing would do well to embrace.
What’s our dragon?
When I first heard about the funding cuts that threatened its future I was immediately transported back to that first visit: hitting the buttons and watching the dragon move its wings. I thought about subsequent times that I visited: learning about how keystones in bridges worked, or watching lectures where (in my mind) madcap professors made colourful explosions, but which were in reality some brilliant lecturers throwing different elements into a Bunsen burner flame. Instantly I was on board with ensuring that other people could have those brilliant learning experiences.
What would those moments be for housing? Collecting a key to a first home? Space to call your own? Sleeping indoors? We often talk about story-telling, but what really evokes a strong reaction is finding the simplest expression of something. What would our equivalent of a big, red animatronic dragon be?
Housing needs to find and harness its positive experiences; the iconic moments it creates for people. Whether that’s someone’s first home, a home in a time of dire need, or just a safe, secure place, translating positive experiences into public support will be vital in ensuring everyone has access to an affordable home.
Jon Barnes is marketing and communications officer at CIH Cymru – you can hear from Techniquest at TAI 2017. TAI is Wales’ premier housing conference and exhibition