How do science centres and museums contribute to social change and fight against social exclusion? Which projects help the more vulnerable sectors of the community? This session will showcase a few initiatives: The Science Museum of London experiments with strategies to tackle these questions, based on past experience of successes and challenges in its community outreach work. The Gruppo PLEIADI aims at upgrading a neighbourhood in a socially problematic area by opening a building to become a science centre. The Museo Civico di Zoologia in Rome is a partner of the EU project DIAMOND–Dialoguing museums for a new cultural democracy, which aims to involve marginalized people in science engagement. The Natural Sciences Museum of Barcelona’s inclusiveness involves programming for the youngest, for prison and hospital groups and for neighbouring communities among others.