The associate director of Jodrell Bank, Tim O'Brien, has expressed gratitude after the Manchester Evening News campaign to save the centre reached more than 1,000 signatures. O'Brien, who signed the petition himself, said he was 'delighted' by the support.
Funding cut threatens future
The future of the Cheshire centre, which houses the UK's largest telescope and the world's third largest steerable radio telescope, has been in doubt since UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) announced that the e-Merlin telescope network would not be prioritised for further funding after its current agreement ends in March 2028. The annual grant to the facility is worth approximately £2.8 million.
Support pours in
Physicist Brian Cox, a professor at the University of Manchester, called the decision 'devastating and irreversible' and said he was 'astonished by' it. The M.E.N. launched a campaign to save science at the centre and its iconic Lovell Telescope, with the petition surpassing 1,000 signatures.
O'Brien said: 'We are delighted that the M.E.N. is campaigning on our behalf. It’s a very difficult time for us here, but what is really helping is all the love and messages of support we are receiving. We are blown away and very grateful to everybody. Hopefully some solution can be found that will enable this special place to keep watching the skies.'
