This Event has Ended
Festival of Citizen Science - British Science Week 2020
Thank you to everyone who has been involved in this event,
we couldn't have done it without you!
Workshop Kitchen
Rachel Thomson
Downside Community Centre Manager
Isobel Cafe
Pan Together is the small Island charity which runs the volunteer-led Downside Community Centre, including the Isobel Community Café. Through our first Festival of Citizen Science, we’re keen to give local residents – young, old and in all their diversity – the chance to get ‘hands-on’ with science, explore their curiosities and try new things they wouldn’t otherwise havethe opportunity to do.
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The centre has full disabled access (including a designated disabled toilet).
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The number 8 bus (which operates at half-hourly intervals throughout the day) stops directly outside the community centre.
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We have free Wi-fi throughout the centre.
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There is some designated parking.
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The centre is directly adjacent to both Barnado's East Newport Family Centre and Barton Primary School.
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Registered as a charity in January 2018, Pan Together began as a community centre in 2007 and operated for many years from a portacabin. In 2016, Pan Together re-located to a purpose-built community centre (acquired via Isle of Wight Council Section 106 funding due to the impact of a large housing development nearby).
This comprises:
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a community café which provides freshly-prepared wholesome food at affordable prices whilst also acting as a social hub for the neighbourhood;
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an IT learning suite with free Wi-fi and eight computer stations;
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two community rooms available for hire;
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a training kitchen with six fully-functioning work stations (including one accessible for wheelchair users); and
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an outside area for growing produce.
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In addition to our facilities, we also provide:
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vital signposting and triage support for vulnerable local people needing help and advice as well as helping to avert social isolation;
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free courses in Maths, English and IT plus many other courses and support to help people back into employment (in partnership with Adult Community Learning and POA Learning);
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a twice-weekly youth club;
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volunteering opportunities and work experience;
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cooking activities for looked after children and care leavers (in partnership with Social Services);
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the weekly venue for the weekly evening gathering of the Island’s Acoustic Music Shed group for men primarily aged 50+ who enjoy singing and playing guitars and ukuleles together; and
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an Older Voices’ Circle.
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We work closely with:
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Barnado’s which runs the Family Centre next door;
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the Island Learning Centre which provides specialist alternative educational provision for particularly vulnerable young people;
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St George’s School for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities;
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Barton Primary School which is adjacent to the community centre;
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Sovereign Housing Association which funds a number of courses at the centre for adults and children/young people alike;
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the Isle of Wight College’s supported internship programme;
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the local Police Community Support Officer who runs two ‘Beat Surgeries’ a month, offering drop-in sessions for residents and young people; and
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the Island’s Youth Offending Team who use the centre as a venue for parenting group sessions and their resilience-building service for primary-aged children who have faced adverse childhood experiences.
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With funding from the local authority, we have recently begun a pilot project of three cooking development programmes engaging young people from across the Isle of Wight who are at risk of taking part in offending and/or violent and/or anti-social behaviour.
In February 2019, Pan Together’s trustees were successful in receiving three years of grant funding from the National Lottery Community Fund. Working with a range of partners, our mission is to develop the already vibrant centre's role at the heart of the community to new levels and to focus 100% on its development as a community hub to best support more and different local residents of all ages and abilities.
Image of the front entrance of the Downside Community Centre + the Isobel Community Cafe, taken from outside the centre.
Zoom in image of the front entrance banner, taken from outside the centre.
Image of the Pan & Barton Older Voices poster which are based at Downside Community Centre, the centre welcome many different community groups to use the centre's facilities, taken from outside the front of the centre.
Image of poster hanging on the side gate, which is the front entrance to the garden and side entrance to the computer room.
Image taken inside the Isobel Cafe and Downside Centre, image taken right of the front entrance, looking left at the cafeteria.
Image taken inside the Isobel Cafe and Downside Centre, image taken right of the front entrance, looking at the cafeteria.
Image taken left of the front entrance with back to the IT Computer Room (Front doors on the Right of image).
Image of Isobel Cafe's cafeteria + front entrance, with back to children's play area + corridor leading to the Office Rooms and Training Kitchen.
Image of Children's Play Area, on the right is the door to the corridor leading to the Office rooms and Training Kitchen.
Image of Training Kitchens
Image of Meeting and Events Room. This large room is going to be the main events room.
Image of Meeting and Events Room. This large room is going to be the main events room.
Image of Meeting and Events Room. This large room is going to be the main events room.
Image of Meeting and Events Room. This large room is going to be the main events room.
Image of Meeting and Events Room. This large room is going to be the main events room.
Image of Meeting and Events Room. This large room is going to be the main events room.
The Garden runs along the side of the Centre.
The Garden has large planters and sheds.
Image of the Computer Room, this image was taken with back to Isobel Cafe.
Image of the Computer Room, this image was taken with back to Isobel Cafe.
Image of Computer Room facing towards the Isobel Cafe entrance.
Image of the 2nd Computer desk which faces the Downside Centre garden.
Zoom in of Computers.
Google Maps Image of Downside Centre + Isobel Park
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Isobel Cafe
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IT Room
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Meeting and Events Room
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Training Kitchen
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Garden
Footprint of the whole Downside Community Centre, Isobel Cafe and gardens
Display Areas
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Computer Area
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Isobel Cafe
British Science Week Display Areas:
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Dinosaur Isle Interactive Fossil Display
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Free light refreshments
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IT Room
Display Area:
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Citizen Science Online Display
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Shipwreck & Maritime Museum
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Meeting and Events Room
Display Area:
- Aviation Museum Interactive Display
- Workshop Rocket Preparation with Aviation Museum
- TimeSlide Studios: Animation Workshops
- 3D Card Modelling Workshops
- Evening Presentations 'How to Catch the Sun...' Wight Community Energy and 'The Secrets of Star Patterns' Memosky'R'
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Training Kitchen
Display Area:
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Citizen Science Geology in a Jar
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Citizen Science Exploding Volcanoes
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Garden
Display Area:
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Wildlife Trust Interactive Display in Garden under Marquee
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Gardening in the Side Garden
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Stargazing in Isobel Park (weather permitting)
