Sara Steele

Sara works within the public engagement team at the Museum of Zoology, connecting a range of audiences from pre-school to community groups with our natural science collection.

She leads on the Museum of Zoology’s Portals to the World (adults with dementia) and UCM programmes working with isolated adults contribution. She works with the local Arthur Rank hospice to deliver ‘ask the scientist’ style sessions and have recently delivered an over the telephone course for participants of COPE (Cambridgeshire older people’s enterprise).

She also has a particular interest in working with young people, helping them to find belonging and foster good wellbeing. She is currently working on a pilot project to launch a joint UCM/University Public Engagement team youth panel.

MuseumNext Museums, Health & Wellbeing Summit
Tuesday, 01 February 2022

Combatting loneliness and promoting wellbeing at the museum

Museums have long understood their strength as social spaces and places that contain ‘things that matter’, but how can this reach those experiencing loneliness and isolation? As loneliness is increasingly recognised as a social challenge, how can museums contribute to making a difference? This session explores the potential for museums to contribute to tackling loneliness, particularly in older people, focusing on a series of programmes at the University of Cambridge Museums (UCM) – and considers what we learnt from finding new ways to continue connecting people when COVID meant we could no longer bring people together in our museums, and what we can build on as we consider the future of our work with older people.

Find the full schedule here