Discovery Children’s Story Centre
Discover Children’s Story Centre is the UK’s first hands-on museum dedicated to creative literacy for children aged 0-11. Based in Stratford, East London, the organisation was established to serve an area facing socioeconomic challenges, while today also welcoming families from across the UK and internationally.
For over 20 years, Discover has used immersive, multi-sensory environments to bring stories to life, helping children learn through play, creativity and exploration.
A building no longer fit for purpose
As Discover approached its 20th anniversary, the organisation faced a growing challenge. Its building, an older property not designed with energy efficiency in mind, was becoming increasingly difficult and costly to maintain.
“We all did a lot of thinking and talking and reflecting about what Discover is and what it should be,” explains CEO Rebekah Polding.
This led to the development of Up and Out, a major capital project designed to transform the space, improve accessibility, and ensure the organisation could continue serving future generations.
Alongside new spaces and visitor facilities, at the heart of the project was a commitment to improve environmental sustainability and reduce long term energy use.
Taking a whole-building approach to energy
Discover adopted a ‘fabric first’ approach, focusing not only on visible upgrades but also the less obvious improvements needed to reduce energy demand.
They replaced outdated gas boilers with air source heating and cooling systems, alongside installing solar panels, improving insulation, upgrading glazing, and continuing the switch to LED lighting.
“I couldn’t in good conscience set us up to burn fossil fuels again for the next 20 years” Polding explains.
The project highlighted how interconnected energy improvements can be. While solar panels were an early priority, Discover found that reducing heat loss and improving the overall efficiency of the building were equally important in making the wider changes financially and operationally effective.
Discover are open seven days a week with extensive lighting and high visitor numbers, so tackling energy consumption became core to long-term planning. “Trying to reduce our energy consumption was huge.”
Accessing the right funding at the right time
Discover was introduced to the Energy Resilience Fund through Big Issue Invest, one of the fund’s delivery partners, while exploring how to finance the wider project.
Earlier support through the Reach Fund helped Discover prepare for that next stage by enabling them to develop detailed architectural plans, strengthen financial planning, and better understand the social investment landscape ahead of raising finance.
“We knew we weren’t going to be able to raise all of the amount in grants. We’re too small an organisation.”
Discover was able to secure more than £3 million through a combination of grant funding and social investment, allowing the wider redevelopment project to move forward. The blended loan and grant structure of the Energy Resilience Fund also supported Discover to progress with essential energy improvements as part of the project.
Building resilience for the future
The investment will have long-term benefits for both Discover and the communities it serves. By reducing energy costs and ongoing maintenance demands, Discover will be able to focus more of its resources on delivering its programmes and supporting children and families.
“When we reopen, we hope we can focus on day-to-day operations, rather than running to stand still to deal with maintenance.”
Throughout the project, Discover involved both its Children’s Forum and Family Forum in shaping decisions about the space and visitor experience. Their feedback influenced elements ranging from facilities and accessibility through to how environmental themes would be reflected across the building and programming.
The redevelopment will also improve accessibility and visitor experience through new spaces, a more visible and accessible café, and environments designed to help future generations engage with stories, creativity and the natural world.
Their project demonstrates how energy improvements can be approached as part of a wider organisational strategy, combining environmental sustainability and financial resilience to create a strong foundation to serve their community into the future.
