Sherwood Observatory is located between Sutton-in-Ashfield and Mansfield, an area with some of the poorest educational outcomes in the country. Our local people are no less intelligent than those elsewhere, but they lack the hands-on opportunities to be inspired by science and technology that are available to people from wealthier communities.

Our vision is to create a Science Discovery Centre and Planetarium that will inspire a new generation of scientists and engineers, thereby ensuring that local people fulfil their potential as well as supporting jobs growth and prosperity, in what is a deprived area. It will be a cultural attraction, where visitors come from far and wide to feel a sense of wonder through an exciting but legible journey from the moment they arrive.

The Centre will reuse a redundant partially underground brick arch vaulted Victorian reservoir situated adjacent to the Observatory, which will also form part of the visitor attraction. The reservoir will be repurposed into an exhibition area and teaching space, whilst a state-of-the art planetarium, meeting rooms and cafe will be constructed on its roof.

The jobs and prosperity of our area will be increasingly dependent on having a STEM-educated workforce. The new Centre will play a key role in presenting these subjects in an exciting and hands-on way to raise awareness of the opportunities a STEM career can unlock. It will be a magnet for attracting tourists and locals alike.

We are excited to have been awarded a grant of £5.35 million from the Towns Fund and Levelling Up programmes but still need to raise a further £1 million to turn our vision into reality. Some of it will come from other grant awarding bodies, but we need your help

We are seeking support from businesses across the region. Sponsorship could be in the form of financial contributions, donation of materials, or work in kind. If you would like to offer your support, please contact Steve at projectmanager@sherwood-observatory.org.uk for more information.

If you would like to make a personal donation, please use this page. As well as making a direct financial contribution, your donations help to show public support for our project which encourages other funders to contribute.

* Charity Commission rules require us to identify what donations will be used for in the unlikely event that the project does not go ahead. Small donations will be used to support upkeep and educational outreach from the Observatory. Larger funders will be contacted to offer a refund or an alternative use for their contribution.