We want to say a big thank you to the whole Software Cornwall community for your support throughout the year and for sharing your stories, successes and challenges with us during 2021. A year of unpredictability and uncertainty has spurred innovation, new relationships and the opportunity to challenge the norm. With thanks to your support, we’ve been able to continue our impact on Cornwall’s tech community. Here are some of our highlights:
✅ We hosted 6 #MissiontoMars work experience weeks during 2021, with a mixture of virtual and in-person missions to adapt to the ever-changing lockdown landscape. 70+ students have experienced what it’s like to work in a real tech company, working in an Agile environment, coding (some for the first time), pitching and working in teams to problem-solve. Mission to Mars alumni are also taking up software developer roles in local tech companies! More on that next year! Thanks to our members and volunteers for their continued support on Mission to Mars.
✅ Tech Jams restarted in October 2021 and are the ideal place for youngsters (and their parents!) to come and learn to code outside of the classroom, for free. Since October, we’ve welcomed 50+ people through the doors, including one event on the Isles of Scilly. Dates for upcoming Tech Jams are live on our website.
✅ We joined the Five Islands School Careers Days which included a career fair, running 3 workshops and a mini tech jam, as well as multiple other careers fairs, school assemblies and workshops across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. Our Education Outreach work is supported purely by membership fees, so a big thank you to all of our members – you’re doing your bit for the next generation of coders!
✅ We’ve hosted 7 community events including 4 Tech Connects (collaborating with our friends at Aerospace Cornwall, Unlocking Potential, Headforwards and Launchpad Venture Studio to name a few!) on topics ranging from space tech, virtual reality, satellite data, embedded hardware, IoT, gaming and much more! We’re not slowing down in 2022 and in fact, we’re doing more, with new opportunities to connect, socialise and explore new tech, which kicked off with Tech Connect on 18th January, which was all about Demystifying AI.
✅ We’ve provided 8 training courses to the community, skilling up 80+ individuals from Cornwall-based tech companies on topics ranging from Agile Leadership to Test Driven Development. We’ve got an amazing programme for 2022, check it out.
✅ In our career-switcher programme, we had 50 applicants within 48 hours, all seeking basic training and a new career in tech in Cornwall. This pilot is ongoing, more on this next year!
✅ We moved into Cornwall’s new tech hub, the Fibre Hub, with our partners Unlocking Potential and Headforwards and we’re already seeing the benefits of sharing a home with some exciting and innovative businesses, along with an awesome events space to boot!
✅ We were on the judging panel for 3 categories for this years’ Tech South West Awards, with our Head of Marketing Niki Davies co-hosting the event. Cornwall businesses did brilliantly, with Hiyield, Feritech, RouteNote, ARC Marine all winning awards and being highly commended for their success!
✅ Software Cornwall Co-founder and Director Mike Barritt won the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Tech South West awards for services to the Cornish tech industry! Mike retires this Christmas and we wish him all the best for his retirement.
✅ We’re a board member for the Digital Skills Partnership who are doing some brilliant work in rolling out a strategy for Cornwall in line with the governments’ digital skills agenda. Check out their strategic priorities here.
✅ We’re continuing our support for TECgirls and have been actively involved in the first two TECwomen CONNECT events held over the last two months, welcoming 100+ women in tech through the doors to network, inspire, learn and collaborate. There’s a brilliant community building here, subscribe to their newsletter to hear more.
✅ We announced a lifetime partnership with Falmouth Launchpad venture studio, bringing us closer to Cornwall’s start-up community and providing a local network for tech entrepreneurs and founders to support them in their journey.
✅ We successfully and safely hosted the Agile on the Beach conference in September, welcoming 300+ agile leaders, practitioners and enthusiasts to the beach in Falmouth for 2 days of networking, learning and collaboration on all things Agile. The conference was a huge success with the next one booked for 7-8th July 2022. Tickets are on sale now and there’s a special ticket offer for Software Cornwall members – check it out!
✅ We’re expanding our team and have a new Apprentice joining us in February to support our marketing and comms activity during 2022!
We’re so excited for the upcoming year and we hope that you’re looking forward to it too. If you want to keep up to date with our events and news and what we’re up to, be sure to subscribe to our newsletter. If you are interested in membership or sponsorship opportunities with Software Cornwall, want to talk to us about interesting projects or potential collaborations, or just have some general feedback from us, we’d love to hear from you! Drop us an email via our contact form and a member of the team will be in touch.
Thank you again for all of your support.