£30m invested in STEM projects to encourage next generation
The Millennium Point Charitable Trust has announced it has reached a landmark £30m in STEM support to organisations across the West Midlands over the last seven years.
£4.98m was received in the last financial year alone.
Millennium Point, which opened in 2001, is the home of 17 versatile event spaces, including a 354-capacity auditorium, meeting rooms, offices and has tenants such as the ThinkTank and Birmingham City University (BCU).
The Millennium Point Charitable Trust is fed by proceeds from commercial activity. The charity is then able to donate, invest in and facilitate STEM-related projects across the West Midlands.
Abbie Vlahakis, CEO of Millennium Point said: “Promoting STEM education across the region is what we do – increasing the opportunities for the next generation via some of the most exciting career paths available.
“As a meeting and events space, the last 18 months has been incredibly challenging, but it’s fantastic that we have continued throughout to contribute to the West Midlands’ myriad of exciting STEM projects and initiatives.”
£2.7m in STEM grants has been awarded to schools, not-for-profits and charities in Greater Birmingham and the West Midlands.
The trust also funds £16,650 in STEM degree scholarships annually in partnership with BCU. To date, £83,000 has been funded into scholarships.
The trust has also announced an extension to the deadline for applications to the Millennium Point Charitable Trust STEM Grants Programme 2022, which is now 5pm on Friday December 17th.
With STEM (science, technology, engineering, and maths) funding grants of up to £20,000 available, the trust has moved the deadline to give more organisations time to apply for money.
Paul Hughes, Schools Manager at the Aston Villa Foundation received a STEM grant from the Millennium Point Trust. He said: “The grant funded our innovative STEM Stars project, which has allowed us to add a new dimension to our provision and provide children, teachers and schools the opportunity to embark on their STEM education journey helping to develop skills of the future and make a real difference.’’
The latest round of funding in 2021 saw a wide range of successful, creative STEM projects – from a proposal to build a fully operational light aircraft to STEM training toolkits for schools.
