The UK’s first museum dedicated to computing could be homeless by the summer if it doesn’t find a generous donor with a large, empty building in Swindon going spare.

The Museum of Computing currently resides at the University of Bath’s Oakfield campus. However, plans are afoot for the academic bods to up sticks and move on in July, leaving the museum without a home.

The museum, a not-for-profit organisation with links to the Science Museum and the Bletchley Park Trust, and the British Computer Society, was founded eight years ago and first opened its doors to the public in 2003, free of charge.

But it’s now in a considerable pickle, because there is no obvious building in Swindon where the organisers can rehouse the vast collection of propellerhead goodies.

Founder Jeremy Holt wants to hear from any good-willed types with a bit of cash sloshing about to ensure the museum has a future, otherwise it could spell game over for all the lovely, dusty old tech kit.

You can find out more about the campaign to keep the museum in the "South West of England's answer to Silicon Valley" here. ®

Related stories

• X-rays beat computer as best invention ever (4 November 2009)
• Wallace and Gromit get patent-happy at Science Museum (27 March 2009)
• El Reg drops in on Bletchley Park (10 September 2008)
• IBM, PGP fill Bletchley Park's rattling tin (8 September 2008)
• Click here to save Bletchley Park (30 July 2008)
• Scientists decry Bletchley Park's decline (24 July 2008)
• Amateur code breaker honoured for defeating Colossus (29 January 2008)
• Strange industry movements as some get on their bikes (16 November 2007)
• Updated German amateur code breaker defeats Colossus (16 November 2007)
• Colossus faces off against PCs in code-breaking challenge (15 November 2007)
• eBayer offers a further Enigma (19 July 2007)
• Bletchley Park opens computing museum (11 July 2007)
• Museum calls on industry to help celebrate IT heritage (9 May 2003)