Home

Wellcome Collection within Wellcome

About Wellcome

Wellcome is an independent global charitable foundation supporting researchers around the world to make discoveries and build a healthier future for everyone. Founded in 1936 by Sir Henry Wellcome to deliver a philanthropic mission, the original private research library that forms part of the foundation of today’s Wellcome Collection was opened to the public in 1949.

Today, Wellcome supports science to solve the urgent health challenges facing everyone by investing in research, engaging people and influencing change. 

By 2032, Wellcome plans to spend £16 billion supporting science and discovery research into life, health and wellbeing. Wellcome’s focus is on three worldwide health challenges: mental health, infectious disease, and climate and health. This vision and commitment is underpinned by Wellcome’s five beliefs: 

  • We believe in the power of science to build a healthier future for everyone. 
  • We believe science has its greatest benefits through collaborative action across society. 
  • We believe diversity of people and expertise leads to richer understanding and more impactful discoveries. 
  • We believe everyone’s experience of health matters, and everyone should be able to benefit from science. 
  • We believe we should take on risks and tough challenges – especially when others aren’t. 

About Wellcome Collection

Wellcome Collection is a free museum and library that brings social, cultural, historical, personal and artistic perspectives to Wellcome’s work.  

Opened in London, UK in 2007 we use our collections, exhibitions and events, publications and live programmes to explore what health is and could be. Between 2007 and 2017 the Wellcome Library and Wellcome Collection were discrete services, but since 2017 both teams now work as a single organisation known as Wellcome Collection. 

We represent the importance of lived experience under both the ‘Discovery’ and ‘Solutions’ arms of the One Wellcome Strategy. 

Wellcome Collection’s own vision is ‘a world where everyone’s experience of health matters’. This vision is the future we want to help shape and be part of as Wellcome Collection. It puts health at the heart of everything we do. The emphasis on people’s experiences makes sure we work to appreciate different meanings of health in its many social, cultural, historical and personal contexts.  

  Our mission sets out how we will work to achieve our vision over the next ten years:  

  • Seek out opportunities for everyone to contribute different forms of knowledge and understanding towards a healthier and more equitable future.  
  • Give voice to a radical imagination of what health is and what it could be.  
  • Make meaningful connections between different perspectives and stories of health past, present and future, with our collections at the heart.  

It positions our collections as an unparalleled resource for exploring the place of science and health in global histories and potential futures, alongside addressing its exclusionary, racist and ableist history.  

Wellcome Collection’s priorities are the areas we want to focus on when delivering our mission:  

  • Create new knowledge and understanding towards our mission.  
  • Ensure that our collections contribute to a more equitable future.  
  • Develop our teams and their practice in pursuit of our mission.