About LabAid


LabAid was started by the late Alan Welch, MBE in 1990, first exhibited at the Association for Science Education (ASE) Annual Conference in 1991 and registered as a charity in 1997, the LabAid Trust.


Alan had taught in Ghana (where his pupils included the young Kofi Annan), the UK, the USA and Kenya. Recognising the need, he set up LabAid, at first in his own home and then in premises provided by Amersham Free Church. He gradually brought in mainly retired local volunteers. There are no paid staff.


When Alan died in January 2016, The LabAid Trust (after a short hiatus) was reformed as The LabAid Foundation, with new trustees drawn from existing volunteers – but it’s still known to everybody as LabAid.


The LabAid Foundation is,in effect, a re-cycling charity, accepting donations of used scientific equipment from schools etc in the UK. Mostly these gifts arise when a school is closing, moving site or efurbishing its laboratories. Often, the equipment is still serviceable or can be cannibalised/ repaired. After sorting and checking, it is packaged and sent to schools in developing countries.