Addressing digital poverty : Community Tech Hackathon

We want the South-West to be a leading area in the UK for #techforgood, a story of technology which is one that empowers, includes and bridges the gap.We are committed to harnessing the transformative power of technology to address pressing societal challenges.  From addressing digital poverty, mental health & well-being and environmental impacts, to ethical implications of emerging technologies, accessibility and digital skills.

Tech4Good South West

Tech coding hackathon to address a digital divide challenge in Bath

Seccl Technology offices

Bath Digital Festival 2023

Collection of Tech for Good focused events brought to you by Tech for Good South West for the Bath Digital Festival 2023 - https://techspark.co/bdf/

<h3></h3><h2>T﻿he Hackathon Challenge</h2><p>Through the festival we are bringing together our tech community to address a digital divide challenge that has been identified.  </p><p>T﻿his won&#x27;t be a competitive hackathon as we have a clear solution we are seeking. </p><p>One challenge we know exists already is access to the internet at home via an affordable, reliable and appropriate connection varies across our area. </p><p>Through a community hackathon during the week of the Bath Digital Festival, we will work directly with those affected and other subject matter experts, to identify the root causes and scope a solution to address them. e.g. this might include simplifying and consolidating fragmented sources of connectivity information such as coverage in BANES, where to access affordable broadband services and how to improve connection in the home.</p><h2>How to g﻿et involved</h2><p>This is a call out to all the experts in this area, product managers, UX and designers and software engineers to come together and hack the challenge! </p><h3>UX &amp; Designers </h3><p>We need skilled UX professionals that can lead the problem discovery and ideation phases of the hack and then through to design, build and testing. </p><p>You will need to guide those directly affected by the issues and other subject matter experts through the process. </p><p>With the exception of the engineers &amp; designers, the participants will likely have  no experience of this type of process, so you will also need to inspire, guide and educate as you go </p><p>You will develop user stories, wire frames, prototypes etc to both bring the solution to life and provide assets and guidance to the designers and engineers</p><p>The objective of the hack is to have a working MVP solution by the Friday so that it can be demonstrated at the final session    </p><h3>Software Engineers</h3><p>By definition, we won’t know exactly what we will be building and the technical challenges we will face, until we get into the process, so rapid and creative technical problem solving is a key skill</p><p>However, the solution is likely to be a responsive website, that aggregates and simplifies multiple data sources in the first instance</p><p>Ideally we need full stack engineers that can cover all the bases, from Web UI, API’s (use of existing and build of new) to database and back end services</p><p>We also love specialists, so please sign up and let us know</p><p>We are open minded and technology agnostic, we will be guided by the skills of the people that come forward and use what we need to get the job done!  </p><h3>C﻿ommunicators and Product Managers</h3><p>We are also looking for Communicator roles (welcoming in, keeping track of process, presenting outcomes) and Product Managers. </p><h2>Y﻿our availability</h2><p>W﻿e appreciate people will not have much available time, but please get in touch with any time you do have, your contribution will be invaluable.  Our hackathon hub will be at Seccl offices, 20 Manvers Street in Bath.  We will also have a welcome hub at 15 Gay Street in Bath if you want to pop along, find out how we are doing or sign up!</p><p>S﻿essions will run over the course of the week, please let us know which sessions you might be available:</p><ul><li>M﻿onday 10th July - between 2 and 7pm</li><li>T﻿uesday 11th July - 9-1pm, 1-5pm, 5-730pm</li><li>W﻿ednesday 12th July - 9-1pm, 1-5pm, 5-730pm</li><li>T﻿hursday 13th July - 9-1pm, 1-5pm, 5-730pm</li></ul><p>I﻿f you are would like to get involved but can only join us remotely, please do sign up and chat to us, as we would still love to accomodate your skills and experience. </p><h2>F﻿inal showcase</h2><p>W﻿e will showcase outputs of the hackathon at our Friday event at St Johns, 10-12noon.  Register here: <a href="https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/647168527487" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/647168527487</a></p><p>Sign-up and we will be in touch, or email Annie at hello@techforgoodsw.org.uk with any questions. </p>

<h3>Digital Poverty</h3><p>You’re far less likely to have access to the online world if you’re living on a low income. In fact, the lower your income the less likely it is. That means – increasingly so – not having access to the fundamentals of life. From social security, to healthcare, education and training, to finding work and applying for jobs – critical services are more and more online.</p><p>So digital inclusion is no longer something that’s ‘nice to have’ – it’s an essential. And being cut off from digital isn’t just an inconvenience – it compounds and exacerbates poverty. That’s no longer something we can ignore if we’re interested in a just society. (<a href="https://digitalpovertyalliance.org/about-us/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Digital Poverty Alliance</a> (DPA)).</p><p>In May 2023 the DPA  launched the <a href="https://digitalpovertyalliance.org/uk-national-delivery-plan-2023/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">National Delivery Plan</a>, which “outlines an initial roadmap for ending digital poverty by 2030”.</p><p>Mission Six of that plan is “Increase local capacity to provide joined-up digital inclusion support to individuals and communities”; while we now have a national plan that aims to fix this issue in our society, it is on us locally in the tech sector to step up and play a part in acting on and delivering the outcomes of that plan.</p><h3>T﻿he situation in Bath</h3><p>Bath is included in the affectionately coined “Silicon Gorge” (Wikipedia, 2019) which describes our region’s high density of technology expertise and innovation. Bath and North East Somerset Council (BANES) is ranked in the 2019 Indices of Deprivation as one of the 20% most affluent areas in the country (BANES, 2022). </p><p>However this average measure disguises the fact that Whiteway and Twerton West are among the 10% most deprived areas in England. In Twerton, 35% of children live in poverty (BANES, 2019) and the cost of living crisis is expected to result in 4,000 more people in BANES entering poverty in 2023 (BANES, 2022). 52% of people surveyed in BANES complained about their broadband connection (BANES, 2022). </p><p>As employment requires more digital skills, and access to key services moves towards digitisation, these statistics indicate a significant likelihood of persistent exclusion for many of Bath’s citizens.</p><h3>R﻿elated events</h3><p>At the opening of the festival, our first event as a new Bath Digital Divide Collective will map the digital divide challenge we have in Bath, if you'd like to join this event, <a href="https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/addressing-digital-poverty-mapping-the-bath-digital-divide-tickets-647128959137" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">sign up here</a>.</p><p>This hackathon will bring our tech community together to address an aspect of our digital divide challenge. </p><p>A﻿t the end of the week, we will be in discussion with <a href="https://www.werahobhouse.co.uk/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Wera Hobhouse</a> to present a call to action to address this city challenge, <a href="https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/addressing-digital-poverty-a-city-divided-tickets-647168527487" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">sign up here</a>. </p><p>Together we can bridge the digital divide.</p>

<p>The newly formed Bath Digital Divide Collective is comprised of representation across the following founding members, of course welcoming a much wider community to address our city-wide challenge:</p><p><a href="https://www.bathbid.co.uk/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Bath BID</a>  </p><p><a href="https://www.bathbridge.co.uk/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Bath Bridge </a></p><p><a href="https://bathunlimited.org/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Bath Unlimited </a></p><p><a href="https://www.bcs.org/policy-and-influence/digital-divide/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">BCS Digital Divide </a><a href="https://www.bcs.org/membership-and-registrations/member-communities/bristol-and-bath-branch/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">BCS Bristol &amp; Bath Branch</a></p><p><a href="https://digitalpovertyalliance.org/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Digital Poverty Alliance </a></p><p><a href="https://www.dotproject.coop/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Dot Project </a></p><p>Future Ambition Board - Connectivity Working Group, and Opportunity for All Group   </p><p><a href="https://mayden.co.uk/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Mayden</a> </p><p><a href="https://techforgoodsw.org.uk/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Tech for Good South West </a></p><p><a href="http://www.thehouse.co.uk/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">The House </a></p><p><a href="https://stjohnsbath.org.uk/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">St Johns Foundation </a></p>

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Addressing digital poverty : Community Tech Hackathon

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