Cambridge Centre for Computing History awarded two separate grants totalling nearly £100k

The Centre for Computing History's Broken Tech: Broken Earth project will engage the local community in exploring the environmental and social impacts of the tech boom.

The Centre for Computing History in Cambridge has been awarded two separate grants in recent weeks totalling almost £100,000.

The computer and video game museum located on Coldham's Rd was first awarded a £4,000 Community Grant from MathWorks, a leading developer of mathematical computing software for engineers and scientists. The grant will be used to support the Centre's Education programme, helping young people to understand computing history’s impact on society and inspiring the next generation of tech innovators.

The second grant of £93,000 from the Esmée Fairbairn Collections Fund, run by the Museums Association for its new project, 'Broken Tech: Broken Earth', will be used to help engage the local community in exploring the environmental and social impacts of the tech boom.

With the UK predicted to generate over 30,000 tonnes of e-waste a week by the end of this year, the museum is keen to work with local people and organisations to explore how to reinterpret their collection – which celebrates the incredible evolution of computing technology over the past 80 years – and tell alternative stories about the environmental impact of tech.

Speaking about the first award, Lisa McGerty, CEO of the Centre for Computing History, said: "We are incredibly grateful to MathWorks for this generous grant. Teacher feedback tells us that visits here give context and a sense of purpose that can’t be achieved in school. This vital support from MathWorks will help us educate and inspire over 2,500 children during the coming academic year.”

On the second award, she added: “We are delighted to be awarded this grant, which will allow us to work with local people to co-design an approach to this challenge and find out how we can tell these local and global stories in a way that inspires real change.”

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