During our proffesional work and whilst organising the Yorkshire Fossil Festival (since 2014), we have developed a wide network of supportive partner organisations and talented individuals in the UK and Internationally. The list is long and prestigious: see below for some selected highlights of our previous Partners, Patrons, Funders and Distinguished Speakers:
List of Significant Partners: The British Geological Survey (BGS), Oxford Natural History Museum (Pitt Rivers Museum), Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council, Anglo-American Mining Company, Arts Council England, Universities of Leeds, Sheffield, Hull, Bristol and Portsmouth, Dinosaur Isle Museum (Isle of Wight), Yorkshire Geologists Society, Whitby Museum, the Palaeontological Association, Whitby Town Council, Geological Association, Rotunda Museum & Rotunda Geology Group, Let’s Circus, Scarbarough Museums Group, Yorkshire Coast BID
Patrons
Professor Chris Jackson – Vulcanologist, Seismologist and BBC Presenter. Advocate and role model for BAME scientists. Chris has agreed to help develop our Charity and communicate our aims to the wider public.
Potential Patrons – people we would like to contact once we are a registered charity:
Met Office UK – We would like to approach the Met Office to ask if one of their presenters would like to help us expand our Outreach into Meteorology and Oceanography
Bryony Page – Trampoline, Olympic Gold Medallist 2024 and PhD Palaeontology – wrote her dissertation on acoustic signalling in dinosaurs
Luisa Hendry – @Scottishgeologist on Instagram. Public engagement in Earth Science
Previous Funders
Arts Council England part funded the Yorkshire Fossil Festival 2023 where we try to combine science outreach with edutainment and arts.
Anglo-American Mining Company – supported us to help connect Yorkshire people on a community level with their geoheritage.
Whitby Museum were co-producers of the Yorkshire Fossil Festival in 2023 and contributed finanically and with venue, logistics and marketing.
The Palaeontological Association fund our activities as well as coordinate a team of prestigious international palaeontologists to come to the event and engage the public with speakers and hands on activities for all ages.
Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council were significant in kind co-producers in 2024 providing: venue, infrastructure, resources, marketing and personnel.
Let’s Circus – Events and circus performance production company run by Steve Cousins (Founder Trustee) provides financial, insurance and logistical support. As well as providing entertainers, staging, venues and production expertise.
We have also benefitted from support by the Rotunda (Scarborough), Whi
Selected Partners
The British Geological Survey – have sent volunteer experts to provide interactive education activities for kids and adults. Including a giant map of the Yorkshire Wolds to use as a visual aid to learn about significant historic and Earth Science related features in the local area (2 images above). Rose Want (BGS Public Engagement Officer) is one of our Trustees and pictured below delivering an interactive workshop to kids at Yorkshire Fossil Festival.
Oxford Natural History Museum (Pitt Rivers Museum) – annual exhibit provider – in 2024 they provided an exhibit on the Kirkdale Cave (North York Moors), which was a crucial location in the history of Geology that helped found the concept of dating the Earth.
We are also supported by the Rotunda (Scarborough), Whitby and Yorkshire Museums who provide evening speaking venues, stalls, grounds and logistical support.
Dinosaur Isle Museum – Isle of Wight – are a significant contributor of internationally important displays of genuine British Dinosaur fossils, unparalleled by anything that is freely publicly available. A real treat for anyone attending our events!
Selection of Speakers
Dr Rick Smith is a lifetime industry geologist connecting local people to the Woodsmith Mine, which is the single biggest engineering project in Yorkshire, producing environmentally friendly agricultural fertiliser from polyhalite.
Dr Anjana Khatwa is an award-winning Earth Scientist, presenter and advocate for diversity in natural heritage spaces. For over twenty years, Anjana has worked as a learning and engagement professional in the natural heritage sector helping people of all backgrounds connect with the landscapes around them.
Peter Stark OBE is a consultant strategic cultural planner and policy maker and gave a compelling environmental synopsis of the North East’s role in carbonising the atmosphere and how it could be a leader in decarbonisation.
Dr Neville Hollingworth is an expert field geologist with a penchant for finding exceptional fossils. His discoveries in the UK have caught the attention of the national media. As some of his finds are new to science these have been published in collaboration with staff from the School of Geography Earth and Environmental Sciences.
Dr Katie Strang is the Director of the Scottish Geology Festival and gave a talk on the Bizarre World of Sharks from the Carboniferous Period.
Sarah Cadwell-Steele (PhD student) is a gemmologist and the world expert on Whiby Jet and Black Jetstone shared her expertise with us.
Richard Forrest is a very successful amateur academic and written a large number of papers on marine reptiles of the Mesozoic. He is also one of our Trustees and is pictured below giving a talk at Yorkshire Fossil Festival 2024 in Redcar, Yorkshire, UK.
