Wrth i Wythnos Wyddoniaeth Prydain agosáu fis nesaf, mae canolfan darganfod gwyddoniaeth hynaf y DU yn croesawu Prif Weithredwr newydd, sy’n cymryd drosodd y rôl pan mae’r deiliad presennol yn ymddeol ar ddiwedd mis Mawrth.
Mae Lesley Kirkpatrick yn ymddeol o’i rôl fel Prif Weithredwr Techniquest. Mae hi wedi arwain yr elusen am wyth mlynedd, gan oresgyn yr heriau enfawr y pandemig a’i chloeon cysylltiedig yn uniongyrchol, a gwneud newidiadau trawsnewidiol o fewn y sefydliad wrth ymateb i doriadau sylweddol i’r grant o’r llywodraeth — a oedd yn rhan fawr o’i fodel ariannu. Roedd rhan o’r newid hwnnw’n cynnwys cyflawni’r prosiect Science Capital gwerth £5.5miliwn a alluogodd Techniquest i ehangu ei ôl troed ffisegol dros 60% a chreu ardal newydd i gynulleidfa fwy amrywiol archwilio.
Rhannodd Karen Harris, Cadeirydd Bwrdd Techniquest, ei barn ar amser Lesley yn y ganolfan darganfod gwyddoniaeth eiconig: “Lesley led the Science Capital project from the very start, securing the funding and building relationships with funders that included Moondance and Garfield Weston. Construction began in May 2019 and was due to be completed by May 2020 — but of course, Covid changed all of that! The delayed full re-opening finally happened in May 2021. Since then, more than 420,000 people have experienced our bright new space, enjoying innovative exhibits as well as old favourites.
“The ability for our charity to reach so many young people over those years, sharing our passion for STEM with them in such impactful ways, would simply not have been possible without Lesley’s vision for the organisation and an incredible amount of hard work, both from her and from the team she has led. Everyone at Techniquest knows how big an attainment gap there is in Wales when it comes to STEM subjects. Being able to play our part in bridging that gap, by inspiring young people through informal learning experiences, is at the heart of what we do.
“As so many organisations in Wales, including ours, are once again having to respond to dramatic reductions in government funding, we know just how tough that environment can be to operate in: having to reposition any organisation to make it sustainable in the face of swathing cuts is no mean feat. But, through the initial adversity that first impacted us in 2016, Lesley and her team managed to create something new and exciting without losing sight of the original vision for Techniquest, and that’s an achievement she can always be immensely proud of.”
Dwedodd Lesley: “It won’t be easy to leave all of this behind, especially saying goodbye to the people I’ve worked with so closely during my time here; but I feel the time is right now to usher in a new chapter.”
Trwy awreinyddiaeth Lesley, mae Techniquest wedi symud ymlaen o fod yn safle a ariennir yn bennaf gan y llywodraeth i fod yn sefydliad llawer llyfnach sydd bellach yn gweithredu ar sail fasnachol. Pan nad yw Techniquest ar agor i’r cyhoedd neu i ysgolion, gellir llogi’r safle ar gyfer popeth o gynadleddau busnes i bartïon priodas ac mae partneriaethau gyda busnesau a sefydliadau eraill wedi galluogi i arddangosion newydd gael eu creu a gosod yn y ganolfan. Mae’r elusen dal yn dibynnu ar godi arian ar gyfer amrywiaeth o brosiectau, yn enwedig y rhai sy’n cynnwys gweithio’n uniongyrchol gydag ysgolion neu gyda’r gymuned. Mae cyllid o werthiant tocynnau yn ffactor hanfodol wrth helpu pobl ifanc i brofi gwyddoniaeth, na fyddai llawer ohonynt yn gallu ymweld fel arall.
“Customers are always front of mind now in whatever we decide to do,” dwedodd Lesley. “We listen to their feedback constantly, making changes where we can to improve their experience with us. It’s probably one of the things I’ll miss the most as I head into retirement, just being able to pop out onto the exhibition floor and watch our visitors enjoying their time with us so much.”
Wrth gyhoeddi penodiad Sue Wardle fel olynydd i Lesley, dywedodd Karen: “It’s a time of conflicting emotions for both the staff and for Board Members at Techniquest, as we are sad to be losing Lesley to a well-deserved retirement; she will be missed by us all. Her tenure has been marked by many outstanding achievements, including the establishment of the Science Capital and being the inspiration and drive behind so many projects. From the start, she recognised the need for substantial change in the charity’s outlook and operating model in the face of uncertain funding levels, and managed that change in direction very successfully. Lesley has steered this particular ship through some very stormy waters, setting us on a firm and fair course for the future.
“At the same time, the board are delighted to have appointed Sue Wardle to take over from her. As a former Techniquest Board Member herself, Sue is familiar with the challenges the charity has faced over the years, and we have every confidence that she will continue to take Techniquest in a positive direction with her extensive experience, vision and passion.”
Mae Sue wedi dal swyddi uwch yn y gorffennol mewn sawl sefydliad Cymraeg yn y sectorau elusennol, celfyddydol a phreifat. Dechreuodd ei gyrfa gynnar ym maes cyllid gyda Lloyds TSB cyn symud i’r sector gwirfoddol gydag Prince’s Trust Cymru. Mae ei phrofiad yn y celfyddydau yn cynnwys gweithio gyda Chanolfan Mileniwm Cymru a gyda Theatr Iolo, lle mae’n parhau i fod yn aelod o’r bwrdd. Yn fwy diweddar, bu Sue yn gweithio fel Cyfarwyddwr Cleient a Chyfathrebu yn Capital Law, ac mae hi hefyd wedi rhedeg ei busnes ei hun.
Dwedodd Sue: “I am really proud to be joining the Techniquest team. I’ve long been a supporter of the company, both as a science centre and a charity. Techniquest has been at the forefront of bringing science, technology, engineering and maths to life for almost 40 years and is one of Wales’s most important educational assets. Lesley will be a hard act to follow, but I’m looking forward to building on her success, continuing to develop Techniquest and inspiring budding scientists, young and old.”
Bydd Sue yn dechrau ym mis Ebrill 2024.