National Museum of Computing gets cash boost

The National Museum of Computing (TNMOC) has been given a £100,000, which will help pay its running costs and secure its long-term future and independence.

The sum given by Bletchley Park Capital Partners (BPCP) and its associates is the largest donation to date that the museum has received since it officially opened in 2008.

BPCP, an independent business based at Bletchley Park that provides serviced commercial offices for businesses, helps fund the Bletchley Park Trust. It announced that it will also provide resources to redecorate the museum building.

This is the historic Block H which, as home to the war-time Colossus machines, was the world’s first purpose-built computer centre.

Jon Fell, a director and trustee of TNMOC said: “This very generous donation from Bletchley Park Capital Partners and its associates is our largest-ever consortium donation and is fantastic news for the Museum.

"The Foundation Sponsorship programme that we launched earlier this year is now bearing fruit and we hope that more companies will want to contribute to the invaluable educational and heritage resource that we wish to expand.”

TNMOC now ranks among the top three dedicated computer museums in the world. Visitors can see and sometimes even use rare or unique working exhibits spanning seven decades of computing development.

The growing range of displays at TNMOC include a rebuild of Colossus Mk II; acknowledged as the world’s first modern computer. The museum is also involved with the ongoing restoration of the WITCH-Harwell computer of the 1950s.

There are also exhibits of mainframes from the 1960s, the NPL Gallery on the Technology of the Internet, plus hands-on micros from the 1970s and 1980s and a retro-programming classroom.

Tim Reynolds, BPCP’s chairman said: “As neighbours of TNMOC on Bletchley Park, we have watched the development of the computing museum with great interest and admiration.

"We are amazed at how much they have been able to achieve considering that they have received no Government or Lottery funding and pay rent for its premises on Bletchley Park.

"We have committed to provide further financial support on top of this donation. Further news will follow. These are exciting times for TNMOC.”