Recycle Your Old Microscope

Royal Microscopical Society scheme to recycle unwanted microscopes

The Royal Microscopical Society has a scheme to recycle unwanted microscopes, refurbish them as necessary, and then either sell them to help fund their own Outreach Projects, or give them to other projects in need of microscopes. Pageant operates such a project in the form of Workshops for Gambian Schoolteachers. These workshops cover the use of microscopes and also practical physics, chemistry and electronics. Gambian schools, particularly those in remote rural areas, find it difficult to teach practical science. Resources are limited, and many schools don't have mains electricity or even mains water. Our workshops show teachers how to give practical lessons in such circumstances, and teachers who attend take away microscopes and practical science kits for use in their schools.

Student teachers at a Pageant workshop using donated microscopes

Student teachers at a Pageant workshop being shown how to use donated microscopes

The RMS had a donation of microscopes from Headington Girls School in Oxford. They were in good condition but were fully serviced by the RMS before being handed on to Pageant. After this, Highgate School, in North London donated 15 microscopes under the RMS scheme. All these microscopes were taken to The Gambia and passed on to schools which had taken part in our workshops.

So if you have old microscopes you don't know what to do with, then donate them to the RMS and they will make sure they are put to good use.