Social media giant Facebook has donated £1 million to the Bletchley Park wartime coding center in Milton Keynes, saving some jobs in the process.
Bletchley Park was the site of critical advances in the development of computing during World War II, with Alan Turing and other leading scientists and mathematicians trying to decipher German messages.
Challenges faced by Bletchley Park
However, due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, the museum has been facing a financial crisis and according to the Bletchley Park Trust, it was projected to post a £2 million deficit this year.
Several cost cutting measures have been undertaken by the Trust due to a prolonged closure and then a limit on visitor numbers due to social-distancing regulation since the museum reopened.
The cost cutting initiatives also included plans to layoff 35 of the 100 employees at the site, and many of the popular activities at the site would have to be dialed down.
When Facebook decided to donate £1 million to the Bletchley Park, it also meant that some of the aforementioned jobs on the chopping block could be saved and reductions in exhibitions and education programs could also be reconsidered.
Financial support for the museum
Aside from the £1 million coming from Facebook, the trust will also be receiving £447,000 from the government's Cultural Recovery Fund, which is aimed at helping museums and arts organizations address the impact of coronavirus.
According to Bletchley Park chief executive officer (CEO) Iain Standen, the donation would make a big difference as the museum tried to adapt to challenging circumstances.
He said: "With this significant support, we at Bletchley Park can weather the current crisis and survive into the future, keeping the doors open for future generations."
Meanwhile, Facebook's regional director for Europe Steve Hatch said: "The historic achievements of Alan Turing and the Bletchley team have benefited all of us greatly, including Facebook, and we're thrilled to help preserve this spiritual home of modern computing."
Professor Sue Black, who launched a successful social media campaign to save the site a decade ago, expressed delight over the news of Facebook's donation.
She said: "The work done at Bletchley Park by thousands of people shortened WW2 by two years, saving millions of lives. We are so lucky to still have the place where the codebreakers worked available for anyone to visit."
Aside from the Bletchley Park museum, the site is also home to the National Museum of Computing, which charts the development at Bletchley of machines such as the Bombe and Colossus computer.
The museum, which is not run by the Bletchley Park Trust, only reopened its doors to visitors last month.
Prof. Black is asking for more help for both museums. She said: "I hope other tech companies follow suit supporting Bletchley Park and the National Museum of Computing so that our children and grandchildren can learn about and appreciate our rich heritage."
Also this year, Facebook announced a $40 million grant program for Black-owned businesses affected by the coronavirus pandemic.
In August, Facebook launched the grant program, under which it will issue 10,000 grants to coronavirus pandemic-affected Black-owned businesses with up to 50 employees. The grant program is part of the firm’s wider initiative to help Black communities, which it announced in June.
