The Imperial War Museum, UK’s Computer Club scheme has scooped the inaugural award for innovation at MuseumNext 2014.

Since 2009 the MuseumNext conference has been highlighting innovation in the field of museums by bringing together those who are shaping the future of the sector, and has now gone a step further by introducing the MuseumNext Award for Innovation – an accolade created to reward the very best in the sector.

The Computer Club is a new museum-wide initiative launched by the Imperial War Museum in May. The Digital Media department runs informal monthly lunchtime sessions – open to the general public – that aim to develop digital awareness and skills. It’s open to all and runs across all five sites in the UK. The scheme is specifically informal and non-museum focussed to avoid deterring casual participants.

One of the judges from a panel of 17 said “the best thing about this project is that it is incredibly simple and anyone can do it. In fact, everyone should do it."

The scheme had to fight off stiff competition from the likes of the MuseoNazionaleCinema in Turin, the Gemeentemuseum in The Hague and the EYE Film museum in Amsterdam.