Booking Ben

Booking and fees:

To arrange a visit get in touch via the contact form on this site after reading this page.

Fees

Details of fees are all subject to your exact requirements. A suggested normal length session would be approximately one hour.

I am, of course, happy to negotiate details since every event is different.

School enrichment workshops/talks:

In practice even a short visit requires a day of my time. As a result you will get more value for money if you use me for more than 1 talk/workshop on a day. The following are guidelines, not formal quotes, you are welcome discuss your budget with me when you get in touch.

  • One approx. 1 hr workshop/talk/lecture session: £500 – depending on exact requirements.
  • Further sessions on the same day at a reduced rate per session.
  • travel expenses as required, from Bath, UK, at 45p per mile (HMRC guidance) for petrol, or equivalent public transport costs – these can vary depending timings (peak train tickets etc) .
  • overnight accommodation if required, at an estimate of £100 per night as a starting point to cover accommodation and subsistence, unless (e.g. in London) hotel rates are significantly higher.

Please note that no sessions should be recorded.

Fees for Large Events/Teacher training/INSET/conferences:

I regularly deliver teacher workshops, demonstrations, and keynote presentations to larger audiences. The exact situations, audiences, and needs will vary widely and should be discussed directly with me, and this will likely need a more bespoke presentation, and therefore quotes will vary.

I understand that budgets vary wildly too. Please get in touch to discuss what you need.

Public Admission Events:

The situation for general public admission events (particularly with an entrance fee) will also be very event dependent, so please also discuss this with me directly.

ONLINE EVENTS:

Since 2020 much more work has been done remotely and online. I am happy and able to provide enrichment/training online, and have a lot of experience at doing so – BUT each session has to be adapted to meet your particular circumstances and arrangements. The fees discussed still apply as a starting point, with the exception of travel costs – which would obviously be minimal.

Interview Preparation

I am also very happy to provide 1-1 Mock Interviews for students intending to apply for mathematics related degrees. Some universities are now conducting these *online*.

  • I can do practice interviews in-person (usually as part of a longer visit) or online using appropriate conferencing software (e.g. Zoom/Meet and Google Jamboard).
  • Approx 45 mins to 1 hour is ideal for a useful experience.
  • If many students are interested I can work with them in pairs, in a minimum of 30 mins (preferably longer), although this does mean a much briefer and less personal experience.
  • For an in-person interview we need a quiet room, space to sit with pen and paper, and an appropriate member of school staff present  – who can be working in the background.
  • For an online interview the student will need to be able to use a camera and microphone, and some method of writing mathematics digitally (a touchscreen device with pen, or a graphics tablet, or equivalent). I can advise on options for these if needed.
  • The interview will be approx 75% mathematics discussion, and about 25% debrief and discussion of the interview, with time for them to ask questions as needed.

Grants and other funding opportunities

You may wish to check whether there are grants available for funding (or part-funding) an event like this:

  • the Royal Institution regularly fund events from the STEM directories (My page on the directory is here – sign-in needed. A list of grant options is on their page here)
  • British Science Association (BSA) (grant info here…)
  • Institute of Mathematics and its Applications (IMA) (grant info here…)
  • London Mathematical Society (LMS) (grant info here…)

General/Tech Requirements:

If delivering an in-person session at your venue I will usually need the following setup:

  • A projector and screen, large enough and bright enough for the audience to all see clearly.
  • A table to work from at the front (on stage or floor). I need to be able to plug in my own laptop to your system from here: video via HDMI or VGA, sound via 3.5mm jack or HDMI, and 240V power supply for my devices.
    (I need to be able to access my laptop during the presentation i.e. it’s not suitable to have to leave the laptop in a sound booth or tech cupboard off stage.)
  • If a microphone is needed for the venue, a wireless hands-free type (i.e. lapel or lavalier microphone, or headset, rather than a handheld – I need to use my hands!)
    Rough guide:  usually a mic is useful if more than 50 people, or if any access requirements dictate a need for amplification.
  • Set-up time: 20-30 mins in the venue, with tech staff available, before any audience is present, to check set-up of projector and sound etc.

If any of these are likely to be a problem we can probably work around it, but I do need to know. I can bring more of my own equipment/cables if I know to do so in advance.

If in doubt – just get in touch and ask.