Social hackathon
Join us for an unforgettable experience of learning, collaboration and making a difference.
What is a social action hackathon?
Social action hackathons bring together student volunteers and local charities from across Bristol. Working in teams, participants solve real-world challenges through creativity, collaboration and innovation.
They are a great way to learn new skills, connect with new people, and make a positive impact in a non-competitive and inclusive environment.
In the 2025/26 academic year we partnered with organisations, including Bristol City of Sanctuary, The Care Forum, Share Bristol, Children's Hospice South West and the Government Digital Service.
"It helped me to feel more confident to speak to new people and develop my ability to think in an innovative way."
Simone Philosophy student
Design thinking training
To support you with hackathon challenge, you'll also receive training on human-centred design thinking.
This training aims to improve your ability to problem solve and come up with innovative solutions. These skills will benefit you at the hackathon, on your course, in future employment, and in everyday life.
Who can apply
Social hackathons are open to all UWE Bristol students and recent graduates.
A social action hackathon encourages and celebrates diversity so regardless of your background, course of study, interests, knowledge and skills, everyone is welcomed equally and no one is out of place. You don’t need previous experience in hackathons or similar events to take part. We are looking for participants with openness, energy and an interest in social action.
How to take part
We will run four social action hackathons the 2026/27 academic year.
Our next event will be on Wednesday 21 October 2026 with Bridges for Communities. You can sign up for the session between 7 September and 15 October 2026.
Key dates
Details and sign-up information for future social action hackathons will be added nearer to each event.
Upcoming event dates:
- Thursday 26 November 2026
- Tuesday 9 February 2027
- Wednesday 17 March 2027.
To be added to an email list to receive information about future social action hackathons, or if you have any questions, contact the Civic and Community Engagement Team at volunteering@uwe.ac.uk.
"It gave me insight to the need for clarity, communication and empathy [...] I also learnt the need to accept help, allowing people to help you see what you may not see about yourself."
Grace Sustainable Food Systems student
What to expect
1. Sign-up process
Event capacity is normally around 25 people. Places are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. If we have more applications, we will open a waiting list and let you know if a space becomes available.
You are welcome to come by yourself or with friends.
As part of the application, you will be asked to complete a short (5-10 minutes) survey that will help us evaluate the event.
2. Training
The hackathon begins with a training session where you will be introduced to new ways of thinking about problems and finding possible solutions.
Through short, non-competitive activities, you will be supported to meet other participants and feel comfortable around each other.
The skills you learn will support you to think innovatively about the social challenge you will be helping solve, as well as being useful in helping you overcome problems during your studies, work or more generally.
3. Conversations
The charity will spend some time explaining to the group what they do and what they would like your help with. You will also get the chance to ask the representative questions.
The representatives stay throughout the hackathon and will be available for you to talk to. This is an informal opportunity to practise speaking with professional organisations with no expectation, stress, or pressure of formal networking.
4. Solution finding
By now you will be confident using the new problem-solving skills, comfortable around the other participants, and understand the organisation and what they would like your help with.
You will spend two hours working in teams of 3-5 people to come up with possible recommendations the charity could research further or implement.
This is not competitive, and there will be opportunities to discuss your ideas and get as much or as little support as you need from your teammates, the other groups, the charity and the Civic and Community Engagement team, who will be present throughout.
5. Session close
After the event, you'll be asked to complete a short (5-10 minute) post-activity survey so we can evaluate the social hackathon event.
All participants who complete the social action hackathon and both surveys will receive a certificate. This can be shared on professional platforms such as LinkedIn or included on your CV.
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Volunteering opportunities
Get involved with volunteering at UWE Bristol, whether it's a regular or one-off opportunity.
Reasons to volunteer
Volunteering is a great addition to your CV and a good opportunity to meet new people, have some fun, and make a difference in the local community.
Contact the Civic and Community Engagement Team
Contact us for enquiries about volunteering opportunities and recruiting volunteers.