Staff training for the Lancashire Science Festival

2. Overview
The Lancashire Science Festival is run by the Communications and
Engagement department. We want to help amaze, inspire,
enthuse and engage the future generation of thinkers in all things
science, technology, engineering, maths, health and much more.
Our aim is for young visitors to leave filled with the wonders of all
the amazing opportunities that are open to them. The idea of the
festival was born in 2012 by Dr Jo Heaton and Professor Robert
Walsh after a popular science stand at the 2012 Preston Guild.
The festival has grown and adapted every year since it started.

4. Festival Guide and Website
It is encouraged that you familiarise yourself with the Lancashire Science Festival so you can be prepared for
any questions that may come your way during the festival. It is also advised that once you have received a copy
of the festival guide, to familiarise yourself with the festival map, in order to direct guests to where they need
to be, e.g. first aid points, baby changing facilities, check-in desks etc.
The website is also populated with lots of helpful information so please have a read through the information
provided on the website.

5. Important Information
• Language
Please be mindful that an event is a family event and there will be young children on campus for the entire three days of the festival,
please do not swear or use any language that could be deemed inappropriate
• Smoking
Smoking or the use of electronic cigarettes is not permitted when wearing your festival t-shirt
• Being Prompt
The festival is ran at full capacity at all times. This means it takes over 120 event volunteers, staff and ambassadors per day to run
the festival. Please do be prompt for all your shifts.

6. • Representing UCLan
When working at the festival and wearing the Lancashire Science Festival t-shirt, you are representing the university. It is important
that you are aware of your surroundings, don’t bring the university into disrepute or tarnish the university brand.
•Mobile Phones
When working at the festival, you’re not permitted to use your mobile phone, unless it is for an emergency. Do not use your phone
during school days to post images on social media. If you’re working the family day on Saturday, you are allowed to use your phone
for social media and emergencies only.

7. Festival Shop
• Opening Times:
Thursday 28 June (9.00am-2.15pm)
Friday 29 June (9.00am-2.15pm)
Saturday 30 June (9.00am-5.00pm)
• Set Up
The shop is located in the foyer of Sir Tom Finney Sports Centre. All of the merchandise will be provided in trolleys/boxes which will
be left in the festival shop area. Please set out enough merchandise to fill the table and the rest can be stored in the ‘foot wash’
room which is just opposite the festival shop locations – please ask on the Sir Tom Finney Sports Centre staff desk for location and
door code. Please then restock from here as required throughout the day.

8. • Cash Box
There is a £70.00 float in the cash box. At the end of each day please count up to the total money in
the cash box, return the £70.00 float (use small change for this) and place the profit into the money
bags provided, noting the amount on the sales tally chart.
• Sales
After the festival closes on Saturday 30 June, you will need to complete a stock take (using the
provided forms) – contact Event Control on the day for more information and assistance.
• Close Down
After the close of the festival each day, please pack away the remaining merchandise into the
storeroom and return the cash box to one of the members of the core team, phone Event Control
(01772 894288) and ask someone to come and collect it. Do not under any circumstances leave the
cashbox unattended or clearly visible.

9. SCHOOL DAYS
Thursday and Friday

10. The Lancashire Science Festival is open to primary schools on the first two days of the festival
(Thursday 28 June and Friday 29 June). Schools are allocated a individual personalised festival
programme for the duration of the day. School groups are allocated sessions, workshops and shows to
maximise their time at the festival, so they can have as much fun as possible. Each school will have a
festival guide who will stay with them throughout their visit.
• 9.00am/10.00am – 2.15pm
• Primary schools only
• Each booking has a personalised itinerary
• All pre-booked and strict timings
• Festival/campus capacity is around 2500 students per day

11. School Guide
• Meeting Your Group
Most groups will be arriving via coach or minibus at Fylde Road car park. There will be a traffic management plan in
place, however; it will still be very busy so the safety of yourself and your group is paramount.
• When your group’s vehicle arrives, you must safely go to the vehicle and meet your group.
• All arriving vehicles will have a clearly identifiable school number at the front and the rear of the vehicle.
• Ensure that you stay on the vehicle until you have given out all of the lanyards and itineraries.
• Once your group is ready to leave ensure that they are led via the designated pathways behind crowd barriers as
quickly as possible and then exit the car park from the gate onto Greenbank Street (not back through the main
entrance onto Fylde Road)
• School Pack
You will be provided with your group’s individual pack. Ensure you give this to the lead teacher when they first
arrive and build a rapport with them

12.  Health and Safety
It is your duty, as well as the teachers, to ensure that the health and safety of the students is monitored at all times.
When crossing roads, please make sure that you use designated crossings. When leaving the Science Showfloors, do
a head check to make sure that you have all your group before leaving
• Itineraries
All groups have a personalised itinerary, from when they arrive to when they leave and your job is to guide your
group to and from all the sessions and assist them throughout the day. Each session is around 45 minutes with 25
minute transition time between venues
• School Reference Numbers
Each school has an identification number. This helps the core team differentiate and identify each school quickly, as
we have so many schools on campus. These will be T(and a number) for Thursday and F(and a number) for Friday.
Whenever liaising with Event Control or the core team, you must refer to your school's number rather than their
name

13. • Time Keeping
Timing is vital to the whole day. You must keep your group on a tight schedule to ensure you stick to your itinerary
time. If you arrive at a session late you may not be allowed entry due to the session already staring.
• Media Permissions
No media permission’ wristbands are to be handed out by the school guide to all students on school days without
media permissions. All social media and photographers/video crew will be aware to look for the wristbands. If
you’re a school guide, it is your duty to inform the photographer if anyone in your group is wearing one of these
bands, to ensure their image isn’t captured
• Science Showfloor
Each school group’s itinerary will include a visit to a Science Showfloor. Advise teachers and pupils not to leave the
Science Showfloor but they can move around the Showfloor as they wish. You must ensure you leave on time
gather them up to leave in good time. Each Science Showfloor will have a Science Showfloor Manager who will be
able to make an announcement for your school group via microphone, so please approach them if needed

14. Festival Shows
During the school days on Thursday 28 June and Friday 29 June, each school will have an allocated itinerary that
maximises the schools time at the festival, to ensure they see as much as they can
 All schools will be allocated at least one show during their visit to the festival. Each show is booked out to
capacity to ensure schools get the most of their experience
 If you are late to your show, you will not be allowed entry, so please ensure that you’re on time
 If you’re running late or know you won’t make the show, please inform Event Control who inform the lecture
theatre compere

15. Maximum Visitor Numbers
• Show capacities are always at a maximum. We allocate school groups sessions, and do not overcrowd the
venue
• An individual school itinerary will be created for each group so to avoid group clashes in one space and over-
crowding. The packages also take into consideration the construction sites on campus and ensure that every
route the schools take is completely safe and is health and safety approved

16. Feedback
If you are a school guide, you will be provided with a hardcopy feedback sheet to complete. You should ask
students what they thought of each session and their day overall, if and when you get chance and jot stats
down. This will be shown by a show of hands whilst waiting outside a venue or when the guide has time to ask
the class – it can then be filled in on the form by the school guide. No names of students should be recorded.
Example 20 students gave Comic Book Science session a thumbs up. Comments of the students on an overall
day were ‘amazing – I can't wait to come back next year’.
School teachers are provided with a hard copy on the day of the event, which they are encouraged to fill out
there and then hand back to the festival guide at the end of the day. In addition to this, the teachers are also
emailed an online feedback form at the end of the day.

17. FAMILY DAY
Saturday

18. On Saturday the 30 June, the Lancashire Science Festival opens its doors to the general public for the
festivals family day. On average, around 7,000 people attend the festival on the Saturday. The family
day is less structured in comparison to the school days, the general public are free to roam around the
festival.
• 9.00am-5.00pm
• Self-guided for all visitors
• Pre-register to attend via website (register for free ‘festival pass’)
• Book workshop tickets via website
• Festival/campus capacity is around 7,500 at one time
• Free admission
• Free parking on campus (very limited)

19. Shows, Workshops and Drop-ins
The festival programme consists of different types of events – shows, workshops and drop-ins. Each session has an
age suitability/guidance which is displayed on the website and in the festival guide.
Shows
 Shows have high capacity and are usually in big venues such as lecture theatres.
 For shows visitors don’t require a ticket they just need to arrive at the venue in good time
 There will be no unnecessary queuing at the show venues. When arriving at the venue visitors will be issued with
a queue number
 Queue numbers will be issued on a first-come first-served basis. When a visitor gets a queue number they are
guaranteed entry to the show
 Once a visitor has their queue number, they will forfeit their place if they leave the queue
 There are only as many queue numbers as there are seats in the venue

20. Drop-ins
 There are lots of fun drop-in sessions and all the visitors need to do is turn up at a time that suits them during
advertised time slots.
 Visitors can then drop in and out as they please
 There are two Science Showfloors full of interactive hands on stands from University staff, sponsors, local
businesses and organisations, plus more than 10 other drop ins such as LittleZoo and our awesome skills labs
Workshops
 All workshops sell out within days each year
 All workshops are pre-bookable before the festival via our website. These are charged at £1 which goes to Cancer
Research UK.
 If a visitor has booked a workshop they will need to arrive at the venue at least ten minutes before the start time
 There will be no stand by queues for workshops

21. Festival Facilities
Baby Changing
• There are two buildings on campus that have baby changing facilities, Sir Tom Finney Sports Centre and Venue 53.
Catering Outlets
• Media Factory café (10.00am-3.00pm)
• Harrington refectory (8.00am-4.00pm)
• Foster refectory (8.00am-4.00pm)
• Greenbank café
• Foster shop
• Coffee cube
• Atrium
• External food vendors

22. First Aid Points
There are two first aid points across campus:
• Harrington check-in desk
• JB Firth check-in desk
There will also be mobile first aiders around campus for the duration of the three days, if you require first aid assistance, please report
the incident to Event Control on 01772 894288 and they will get the first aider to your location as soon as possible.
If you require medical emergency, call UCLan security who will dispatch 999. Once you have done this, inform Event Control of the
situation immediately. You are not to ring 999 yourself.

23. Check-in/registration (Saturday)
• Festival Pass
Prior to arriving visitors will have been encouraged to register for their free Festival Passes via the website. Their
name will be checked off via Eventbrite on arrival. If they haven’t pre-registered, we can’t guarantee them entry,
due to having to manage the festivals overall capacity. This will be decided by the Check-in Manager who will keep
track of capacity.
• Workshop Tickets
These have all been pre-booked before the festival and we won’t be running standby queues. These are pre-
bookable via the Lancashire Science Festival website. Bookings will open at the end of May.

24. • Check-in for pre-registered
You will be using a tablet to check-in visitors using the Eventbrite app. These will be set up for you and to check in a
visitor you will need to ask their name, search and then confirm details and check them in.
• Walk-Ups
Check-in for walk-ups who have been approved by a Check-in Manager will be asked to complete an online
registration, and then checked in as would previously.
• When Visitors are Leaving
Ask visitors who are leaving to return their lanyards and complete a feedback form, which can be torn off from the
back page of their Festival guide. We collect in all visitor lanyards to monitor the festival capacity, and to keep costs
down for future years.

25. Lecture Theatre Compere
Your role is to ensure overall smooth running of a designated venue, typically a lecture theatre.
Looking after prompt start/end times, housekeeping announcements, introducing acts, assisting
school guides when required and ensuring that no gaps are left between schools as the show will be
running at capacity.
• Compere Pack
There will be a compere pack which will be left in the venue for you. The pack will include; tech
support contact details, housekeeping announcements, special requirements and timings.
• Timekeeping
It is essential that sessions start and finish on time. As all sessions are time-tabled and falling behind
would have a knock on affect for the rest of the day

26. You’ll be given a designated venue from the below:
 Darwin Lecture Theatre
 Foster Building Lecture Theatre 2
 Foster Building Lecture Theatre 3
 Foster Building Lecture Theatre 4
 Harrington Lecture Theatre
 Greenbank Lecture Theatre
 Venue 53
 ABTVI
 Mitchell and Kenyon Cinema
 Brook Building 008

27. Ask me for directions (Saturday)
Your role during the Saturday is to assist festival guests with finding their way around the campus. You’ll be
provided with a festival map and guide, in order for you to be able to direct guests to their destination. Please
make yourself familiar with the festival guide and campus.
Festival Runner (Schools and Saturday)
Our festival is super busy and we need helpful festival staff to assist the festival team with transporting supplies
across the campus, to those who require them. This is an important role, as it means the festival can run smoothly
and we can offer great customer service.
Data Inputters (Saturday)
Once we have gathered all festival feedback, we need all that data processing. This roles responsibility is to enter all
data given accurately and quickly.

28. Maximum Visitor Numbers
• There are several strategies in place for calculating visitor numbers and venue capacity during the festival. All
guests are encouraged to register on Eventbrite before attending the festival, and once they arrive at the
festival, they are to check in to receive their festival lanyard and be checked in, and when guests are leaving,
they are asked to return their lanyards. These methods allow us to monitor how many guests we have at one
time on campus.
• If guests are seen without lanyards, please approach them and ask them to put on their lanyards, if they
don’t have a lanyard, please direct them to the closest check-in desk to register.
• Show venues are run by comperes and queue management staff and all capacities are adhered to at all
times.
• If you believe a space is overcrowded and has become dangerous please report this to Event Control Centre

29. Feedback
Visitors to the festival on Saturday are encouraged to complete the feedback form attached to their festival guide and
return the completed form to the festival shop that located in the Sir Tom Finney Sports Centre or checks in desks.
Online feedback forms are also emailed out on the Saturday evening. All staff must encourage guests to fill out the
feedback form.
If you’re told feedback verbally, inform the visitor that you will report the comments back to the festival team.
Alternatively, you can ask the visitor if they wish to speak to the Festival Manager, if it is a serious complaint that
needs to be actioned as soon as possible.

30. Safeguarding
For safeguarding purposes please make sure you are:
• Never alone with a child
• Swap personal information, e.g. phone number or social media details
• Come into close contact, e.g. hug, hold hands or cuddle a child
Whilst safeguarding issues are very unlikely to come up, it is important to be vigilant of issues at all times. If
you do come across a situation that causes concern that a child is being abused or neglected, call Event Control
on 01772 894288. Do not disclose to Event Control what the issue is, just let them know you have a concern.
Event Control will then report the situation to the safeguarding lead, who will find your group, speak with you
and deal with your report as appropriate.
Please request to speak with the safeguarding lead if you suspect a safeguarding concern. Never try to
investigate or intervene if you have a concern, please just report it.

31. Media Permissions
‘Smile You’re on Camera’ signs will be situated around the
campus during the festival to inform guests that there will
be photographers taking images and videos during the
duration of the festival. If it is mentioned to you that an
individual doesn’t want their image being taken when the
photographer is around, please inform the photographer.