10-year-old Labib Rahman bringing fun-filled family science day to Rochdale for British Science Week

Wardleworth Community Centre Association and Youth Connections Rochdale are aiming to bring a ‘fun-filled family science day’ to Rochdale for the first time ever on Sunday 12 March, but need your help to make it happen.

The day came about because of ten-year-old Labib Rahman’s love of everything science. The enthusiastic ten-year-old wanted to hold a science related event because “it’s miles to travel to Manchester or Birmingham, so why not do something in my town?”

Labib is planning to give a presentation on palaeontology, one of his favourite areas of science along with astronomy. The home-schooled youngster has such an aptitude for the subject that he is even working towards his GCSEs in science and maths already, and hopes to be an astronomer, astronaut, or a palaeontologist in the future.

Labib said: “It’s very important to have this science day because I know what I want to be when I’m older, no matter how hard or crazy it is. Some of my friends don’t know what they want to be, and I want people to go for their dreams.”

The ‘day of fun and stimulation for children, family and friends will fall during British Science Week (10-19 March), a ten-day programme of science, technology, engineering and maths events and activities across the UK for people of all ages.

Planned activities for the free day include:

• A polestar planetarium to see the night sky.
• An ‘alien moonwalk’ bouncy castle, perfect for kids, with additional specially reinforced materials for adults to join in the fun.
•  A science stand to encourage interaction, including: a Van de Graff generator for hair raising fun and static sticks that make objects levitate.
•  A science party where children can make their own sherbet sweets, fizzy drinks, and colourful slime. Every child will leave the party with goodie bags and a certificate with their brand-new ‘science name’.
•  An informative showcase from the Oldham and Rochdale Astronomy group.
•  Rockets (weather permitting)

A spokesperson for the British Science Association said: “The British Science Association is committed to growing and diversifying the community of people interested and involved in science, and British Science Week is all about encouraging and celebrating grassroots science activities.

“With our British Science Week Community Grants, we specifically want to empower and support local communities that don’t normally have the opportunities to engage with science, helping them take ownership over the activities and in turn making science something that’s relevant and interesting to them.”

The project is already part-funded thanks to a £500 award from the British Science Association and around £500 that has already been raised.