By Samia Burridge, Sponsor Scientific.
The BSA’s mission is to transform the diversity and inclusivity of science; to reach under-served audiences; and increase the number of people who are actively engaged and involved in science. This is important because “science is under-valued in education, government, journalism, culture, finance, and elsewhere” leading to poor decision making in the face of society’s biggest challenges and opportunities. It seeks to “take science out of its cultural ghetto and make it something that belongs to a wider community…”. The BSA’s work engages the general public, youth, leaders, researchers, politicians and media through training, funding, forums, and science festivals. Reporting shows it reaches over half a million under 18s per year. It also tracks how well it reaches the least engaged/interested groups. It regularly influences policy. It seeks donations, grants and sponsorship; Many projects (such as Science Week and CREST) are particularly suited to corporate sponsorship.