My story

YOU DID IT!

Bletchley Park has just announced that, thanks in no small part to your amazing generousity, they've been able to buy the papers for public display.

This is great news, and everyone who has donated should feel thoroughly proud of themselves.

For more information on how Bletchley Park has ended up with the papers, and what will happen to them now, you can read the story here.

Again, thank you, from the bottom of my heart. When I set up this fundraising effort, I doubted it was possible - but the astounding response from you all has left me humbled and proud to have been a small part of something big.

The remainder of the page below remains for posterity.

 

A SECOND CHANCE!

Well, there's good news and bad news on the campaign front.  First, the bad news: we didn't win the papers at auction.  The good news: neither did anyone else.

I'm currently awaiting a message from Christie's to find out what happens to the papers now, after they failed to reach the reserve price and were passed back: they will either enter an 'after sale' at another time, in which case we have a chance to raise more funds and secure a bid, or they'll be sent back to the seller, in which case there's a chance for Bletchley Park to make a private offer.

In either case, more donations are required!  Please keep on giving, and if you have any suggestions as to how to get Microsoft, Apple, Yahoo!, Facebook, and other high-tech firms to match or better the incredibly generous donation of $100,000 made directly to Bletchley Park by Google in support of this campaign please let me know!

 

Alan Turing is a name synonymous with modern computing.  A pioneer, war hero, and all-round great guy, he was snatched from us before his time due to prejudices surrounding his sexuality.

Bletchley Park, the home of Station X where Turing worked to break German ciphers during the Second World War, does its part to keep him in our memories - but it needs our help.

Auction house Christie's is to auction off an impressive quantity of Turing's offprints, including his first published paper.  It's thought to be the largest collection in the world, put together by Turing's friend Professor Maxwell Newman to whom Turing presented the offprints.  They belong in a dedicated museum, but Bletchley Park can't afford the £300,000-£500,000 guide price.

As a result, I'm asking for volunteers to dig deep and see to it that these papers not only stay in this country, but stay where the public can see them and benefit from them.  Let's save them from being locked away in the vaults of a private collector.

It's a big ask, looking for half a million pounds, I know - but if you work for a high-tech company, use a 'universal computer,' or are in any way connected with modern computing, you owe Turing a debt of gratitude - and this could be a way to help repay that debt.

Please, consider donating.  Every little helps, as a certain supermarket chain would say.

If you'd like to donate, please do so as soon as possible - the auction is on the 23rd of November, so we haven't got long if we want to save this historic treasure for future generations to enjoy!

In the - hopefully unlikely - event that we don't reach our goal, fear not: the money raised will be still be going to Bletchley Park Trust, to support the charity's great work.

My gallery 1

My Teams

My company

My charity

Bletchley Park

Bletchley Park

Charity Registration No. 1012743

Bletchley Park was home to the WW2 Codebreakers whose breath-taking achievements helped shorten the war by two years saving countless lives. The Bletchley Park Trust's mission is to transform Bletchley Park into the world-class education and heritage site it deserves to be reflecting the profound significance of its impact on WW2, the twentieth century and the way we all live today.

Donations 509

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For your super-effective use of JustGiving to rally attention and funds to the cause, you're our fundraiser of the month! Keep up the great effort :)

Donation by JustGiving on 08/12/10

£50.00

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Donation by Richard Salt on 07/12/10

£20.00

+ £5.64 Gift Aid

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Good luck with buying these papers. An ex-coder

Donation by Bernard Smyth on 05/12/10

£10.00

+ £2.82 Gift Aid

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A very great man

Donation by Edward (Ted) Coles on 03/12/10

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A great man very undervalued, now is the chance to do something to put things right. Perhaps the government should be approached for a donation.

Donation by Bill Whitfield on 03/12/10

£20.00

+ £5.64 Gift Aid

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In memory of my Mother who was a Cipher Officer too.

Donation by Shirley Phipps on 02/12/10

£10.00

+ £2.82 Gift Aid

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A brilliant scientist who was a victim of a homophobic society. He and others gave so much, yet paid the ultimate price for being who they were.

Donation by Colin Allen on 02/12/10

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My daughter must be Alan Turing's biggest fan!

Donation by Kay Allen on 02/12/10

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I owe my very interesting and satisfying career to Alan Turing and his fellow computer pioneers.Let's hope we can save the papers for BP and posterit.

Donation by Michael Hall on 01/12/10

£100.00

+ £28.21 Gift Aid

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This is so important that the opportunity to purchase these papers must not be missed.

Donation by Stephen Hardcastle on 01/12/10

£20.00

+ £5.64 Gift Aid

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Good luck raising the amount needed to keep these valuable documents and put them on public view.

Donation by Andrew Leatherbarrow on 01/12/10

£10.00

+ £2.82 Gift Aid

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Must be worth keeping these records for the public. My boss was Richard Pendered, who helped cracking codes.

Donation by Barry White on 01/12/10

£25.00

+ £7.05 Gift Aid

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My mother worked at Bletchley Park during WW2 and met Turing. He was brilliant & his work must be saved for the collection

Donation by Chris Lawson on 01/12/10

£25.00

+ £7.05 Gift Aid

 

His brilliant work went a long way towards victory in WW2. The memory of his work must be preserved - he was so shamefully treated. Good luck!

Donation by Sue King on 01/12/10

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I make a special effort to visit Bletchley Park whenever I'm in the U.K. I truly hope you can secure these as a permanent part of your collection.

Donation by Gary Oliver on 30/11/10

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Good Luck!

Donation by Colin Berry on 30/11/10

£25.00

+ £7.05 Gift Aid

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He was very special and saved countless lives.

Donation by Walter Burns on 30/11/10

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Good luck with the appeal.

Donation by Brian Matthews on 30/11/10

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Pleased to donate to secure a part of computing history, hopefully

Donation by Kevin Bond on 30/11/10

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Donation by Aisling Canton on 29/11/10

£50.00

+ £14.10 Gift Aid

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The InfoSec community is in full support of your efforts to bring the papers home. http://www.ethicalhack3r.co.uk/

Donation by Ryan Dewhurst on 29/11/10

£10.00

+ £2.82 Gift Aid

 

At Last - Something positive worth donating money for

Donation by Andrew Walker on 29/11/10

£100.00

+ £28.21 Gift Aid

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Donation by Ashley Unitt on 28/11/10

£10.00

+ £2.82 Gift Aid

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Donation by Alice Burman on 28/11/10

£7.50

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Donation by Ivan Toshev on 28/11/10

£15.00

Donation summary

  • * Online donations$34,880.33
  • Offline donations$0.00
  • Text donations$0.00
  • Total raised$34,880.33
  • Gift Aid$8,428.11

* Charities pay a small fee for our service. Find out how much it is and what we do for it.