By Hilary Newiss, Chair, and Hannah Russell, Chief Executive, of the British Science Association (BSA)

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Science touches our lives every day. From the food we eat, to the clothes we wear, to the tech we use – science has played a role in shaping so many aspects of our daily lives. It has the capacity to impact individuals, communities and the world in many diverse ways. However, we know that the impact of science is not always equitable. We also know that the science community is not fully representative  of the UK population. At the BSA, we believe that, to make the biggest and fairest impact, all of society needs to be represented in science.

Three years ago, the BSA launched its ambitious 10-year strategy – the guiding principles to lead our work over the next decade as we approach our bicentenary in 2031.

We also launched our new Vision – to create a future where science is more relevant, representative and connected to society.

Since then, we have both joined the BSA in our roles as Chair and Chief Executive and, while the external world and BSA’s leadership have changed, our Vision and three 10-year strategic objectives continue to provide the north star to the work we do. However, as with all strategies, it is prudent to review and reflect as you deliver against them.

As part of that reflection, we have developed a refreshed Mission statement and five three-year goals which, if we achieve them, will bring us several steps closer to realising the objectives of our 10-year strategy. 

Our Mission is to ensure that all of society is included in science. We improve young peoples’ experiences of science in their education. We work with community groups and grassroots organisations to give them opportunities to be involved in science. We showcase the amazing work of researchers and academics through our events and activities. We advocate for a more inclusive science community.

We know that there are significant structural barriers that prevent many people from being engaged or involved in science. These barriers not only have economic and democratic implications for the UK, they also impact the lives and livelihoods of those individuals and groups who feel excluded.

We also know that the science community itself is not representative of UK society and that negative experiences of school science can shape people’s perception of and connection with science for many years to come. 

To overcome these barriers, we have set ourselves the following five goals:

1. Transform science education for all young people
2. Put communities at the heart of research and innovation
3. Give the public a voice on science decisions
4. Drive towards a more representative science community
5. Champion the role of science festivals.

We believe that by focusing the BSA’s work on these five goals , we will be able to better serve the communities, groups and stakeholders that we work with.

You can read more about our goals and how we hope to achieve them on our website, but importantly, if you share our vision and ambition, we would love to hear from you.