A mobile climate change exhibition which will visit local communities will become a reality for Aberdeen Science Centre if it is successful in securing a grant from the Scottish Government’s just transition fund.

The science centre has bid for £39,500 of funding from the Just Transition Participatory Budgeting Fund for an electric vehicle which would be used as transport for the climate themed exhibit.

The Scottish Government, in collaboration with ACVO, NESCAN Hub (North East Scotland Climate Action Network) and the Scottish Community Development Centre (SCDC), is offering non-profit organisations from across Aberdeen City the opportunity to receive a share of £333,333 for environmentally friendly projects.

It is up to the people of Aberdeen to decide which organisations are successful through an online public vote and Aberdeen Science Centre is calling on visitors to vote for its bid!

Voting for organisations to receive funding must be completed online or at one of the in-person public voting events and can only be done by citizens with an Aberdeen City postcode.

Votes must be placed for 10 of the 22 projects listed online and must be submitted before 12pm on Friday, 16 December.

Steph McCann, fundraising manager at Aberdeen Science Centre, said:
“To receive funding from the Scottish Government’s Just Transition Participatory Budgeting Fund would be Christmas come early for us.

“We need the public of Aberdeen to get behind us and vote for us to receive the funds necessary to enable to us to create an exhibit that we can take into communities, schools and public events.

“We plan to bring the climate conversation directly into the heart of communities, and to lead by example by using an electric vehicle to do so. The vehicle will allow us to take an interactive hands-on exhibit on the road that we will use to educate about carbon reduction and how we all play a role in going green. If you live in Aberdeen, we need your vote!”

If successful, Aberdeen Science Centre will use the funds to purchase and kit-out an electric vehicle to be used to transport the new exhibit.

The van will bring the climate conversation into communities in the North-east of Scotland through hands-on activities and workshops that can be introduced into schools, businesses, and public events.

The vehicle will also be decorated with graphics that highlight the benefits of switching to electric and reducing CO2 emissions.

The Fund aims to empower local people to shape the journey to net zero in a way that reflects their local needs and priorities by allowing members of the public to have their say on where the money is spent.

Bea Dawkins, Development Officer at ACVO TSI, said:
“This is a very exciting time for the North-east. Scotland is the first country in the world to adopt a democratic process for its transition to net zero and it’s happening right here in Aberdeen.

“The fund will empower local citizens to decide for themselves what our greener, fairer future will look like. We have been overwhelmed by the response from our local non-profit organisations who have worked hard to put together applications for this fund.

“Now, we hand the baton over to the people to decide which projects will receive funding.”

The Just Transition Participatory Budgeting Fund forms part of the wider 10-year £500million Just Transition Capital Fund announced by the Scottish Government in May, which aims to support Scotland’s North-east economy in its just transition to net zero.

Recently awarded 5-star status by VisitScotland, Aberdeen Science Centre reopened to the public in November 2020 after a major project to create an aspirational science centre which reflects the STEM priorities for both industry and education.

The centre’s exhibits are aimed at all ages and are themed into six zones: Energy; Space; Life Sciences; Make It, Test It; and the dedicated area for the under-6s, as well as the Shell Learning Zone, where science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) are brought to life.

To vote for Aberdeen Science Centre in the Just Transition Participatory Budgeting Fund or to find out how to visit at one of the in-person events, please visit https://acvo.org.uk/vote/