The Estelle Wolfson Emerging Women Leaders Programme at UCL 

A report prepared for Lady Estelle Wolfson by Professor Dame Jane Dacre and Deirdre Wallace, Principal Teaching Fellow 

August 2020

Read the full report here: A UCL update report on the Lady Estelle Wolfson Emerging Women Leaders Programme

The COVID-19 crisis requires a rapid, coordinated research effort to reduce the spread of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, and minimise the loss of life. At the Crick, our excellence in discovery research, diverse science base, focus on human biology and links with clinical hospitals and global research collaborators, such as the World Health Organization, make us well placed to drive progress in the fight against COVID-19 and SARS-CoV-2. 

To support the national and global effort, we have devised a research strategy that addresses the immediate practical challenges of controlling the virus, whilst seeking to deliver more definitive therapeutic solutions in the longer term. Our comprehensive COVID-19 research programme brings together a team of approximately 110 world-leading scientists across 12 laboratories, who will focus their expertise and energy on finding solutions to some of the most pressing challenges posed by COVID-19 and SARS-CoV-2. 

Read the full report here: Lay summary of the Crick COVID-19-related research strategy – July 2020.

Although this report is submitted whilst the Wallace Collection is currently closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are pleased to report that overall this has been another successful year for the Access Events programme at the Wallace Collection. We have continued to run our popular regular programmes, inspiring many repeat visits, whilst also diversifying our offer to engage new audiences. 

From April 2019 – March 2020 we scheduled a total of 42 events for adults, young people and families, reaching 436 adults and 42 children/young people. This year we ran nine SEN school workshops, reaching 476 pupils and teachers. 

Read the full report here: 2019-20 Wallace Collection Access-SEN Programme Report.

Thank you!

Trust all my dear doctor, scientist friends and all their colleagues and families are keeping well.

What a superb and brave dedicated medical network we have here in Great Britain. God bless you all, stay safe.

With all my hopes and prayers for a safe outcome.

Best as ever to all.

Estelle Wolfson – Chair
Michael Feldman – Administrator
Georgina Hobart  – Secretary

The National Gallery is for everyone and the paintings in the collection are held for everyone regardless of education, income, residence, or personal circumstances. The Gallery seeks to provide all visitors with access to the building and its collection, making alternative provision where required (within the constraints of a Grade 1 Listed Building). Read more here.

We are pleased to report to the Trustees on these two SEND programmes over the school year from September 2018 to August 2019. Read more here.

Since 2014, The Lord Leonard and Lady Estelle Wolfson Foundation has generously supported Early Birds at the Science Museum. Over the past five years, Early Birds and Night Owls events have become some of the most valued by our visitors and, often, those who attend would otherwise not be able to come to the Museum. This report outlines the programme’s activity over the year 2019/20 and plans for the year to come. Read the report here.

A mid-year update for The Lord Leonard and Lady Estelle Wolfson Foundation can be viewed here

“Without the support of visionary donors like you, the Francis Crick Institute would not be the success it is today…”
Sir Paul Nurse – Director, Francis Crick Institute

Read more here

“Thanks you so much Science Museum for hosting your first ‘Early Birds Evening’ and inviting us along. We had a lot of fun! So nice to be in an environment where nobody would judge Lumen for his bare feet, spinning, or hand flapping. And so nice to be in a space where the crowds disappeared and there was no queue for the Wonderlab, the lights were dimmed, the hand driers were turned off, and all the staff were accommodating. I need to make it my personal mission to make more spaces in london offer this.”

“It gives me great pleasure to introduce the yearbook for our 2018/19 inaugural cohort of emerging women leaders. This newly established leadership scheme generates great pride across the Royal College of Physicians (RCP) as we say farewell to 12 dedicated and accomplished doctors who are developing their leadership skills as consultants” – Dr Emma Vaux, Senior censor and vice president (education and training), Royal College of Physicians

Read the report here.

With the generous support of the Lord Leonard and Lady Estelle Wolfson Foundation, Dawnosaurs 2 got off to a fantastic start in 2018/19. The biggest story of the renewed programme’s first year has been the impressive surge in participation we have witnessed. Read the full report here.

The Lord Leonard and Lady Estelle Wolfson Foundation has kindly supported the National Portrait Gallery’s Access programme since 2013. This report outlines some of the activities and audiences the funding has been able to support over this year; this includes Musical Portraits, the Gallery’s creative arts project for young people with autism; the Gallery’s onsite access public programme and access resources. Read more here.

Extract taken from the British Museum Review ‘Being human’ 2018/2019

New programming to widen access included ‘relaxed’ talks and drawing workshops for those with autistic spectrum conditions, sensory and communication disorders and learning disabilities.  The events were supported by the Lord Leonard and Lady Estelle Wolfson Foundation. Activities for hard-to-reach groups included free community viewings of special exhibitions and the new Albukhary Foundation Gallery of the Islamic World.  The event welcomed over 3,500 people from supplementary schools, charities, adult learning centres, refugee support groups and community centres local to the British Museum.

Extract taken from Natural History Museum Annual Review 2018/2019 ‘Speaking to the World’

A Museum Leader in Autism

Supported by a fresh tranche of three-year funding from the Lord Leonard and Lad Estelle Wolfson Foundation, six additional Dawnosaurs events took place in 2018/2019 in South Kensington and Tring.  Around 3,500 visitors benefited from events as part of the new funding stream, a significant increase on 2017/2018.

Now entering its fifth year, the Museum’s Dawnosaurs programme provides autistic children and their families with calm and supportive museum engagement away from the usual crowds and sensory overload.  Events include ‘relaxed’ early access to most galleries, live animal shows and other science learning and creative activities. A Changing Places toilet is also available for mobility-disabled visitors and a sensory room for those needing quiet.

Additions to the programme this year included live music in Hintze Hall, Dawnosaurs events at Tring and free entry to the Life in the Darkexhibition, which welcomed over 1,200 autistic children and their families across three events.

Read the feedback here

“I just wanted to thank the Trustees for the continued support of SEN at London’s museums and in particular your support at the National History Museum. As a father of 2 young boys with additional needs these events provide an opportunity to explore the delights of the museum on their terms and have a much enhanced experience for both children and adults alike. It is greatly appreciated and I just wanted to take a moment to say thank you and highlight the difference that this makes to our family.” – Neil Budd (neil.d.budd@barclays.com)

“I am writing to thank you for the most wonderful experience that my family had on Saturday. We visited the Science Museum’s Early Bird session for the first time and it was so very special for us to see our three sons, aged 4, 7 and 9 so engaged and inspired by everything around them. Our eldest son has autism and this stops him from accessing these places during normal opening hours. Sadly it often prevents his younger siblings from going too. We have only just discovered the autism-friendly museum openings and see that the Natural History Museum has one too, which you also make possible, so we are very excited about discovering that later in the year. We just wanted to say thank you for making these events possible and giving us all so much joy.” – Molly Neal

The Lord Leonard and Lady Estelle Wolfson Foundation has generously supported an access and education programmes at the British Museum since 2014. In September 2016 the Foundation awarded the Museum a grant of £90,000 over three years to support Phase II of the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) Access and Education Programme, 2017 to 2020. Leading on from learnings in Year One, in Year Two the programme began to embed the most successful activity elements into the Museum’s permanent programming. Read the full report here

Over the past twelve months the Wallace Collection’s Access and SEN Programme has continued to flourish. We have expanded familiar and successful sessions and tours as well as added new and experimental elements to our programme. Of course we also continue to support colleagues in other cultural organisations to implement and improve their offer of accessible events and activities. From April 2018 – March 2019 we hosted a total of 48 adult events reaching 836 adults, almost double last year’s amount, and ran 19 SEN school workshops, reaching 622 pupils and teachers. Read more