Development agency Cwmpas recently launched Start Something Good®, an innovation programme designed to bring people, organisations, and communities together to develop fresh ideas for social change.

The event took place on the 22nd of May 2023, centred around the pressing question: “How can we create a Future Generation of Changemakers?” and was created in collaboration with Ashoka, an organisation that supports the world's leading social entrepreneurs to build a global community of changemakers.

Attendees at the launch, which included representatives from the Football Association Wales, Welsh Government, NatWest, and leading Welsh universities, took part in a social hackathon. They were split into teams and tasked with developing ideas to create social changemakers within education, business, sport, public services, housing, and the media sectors.

Commenting on the launch, Paul Stepczak, Business Growth and Innovation Consultant at Cwmpas, said:

“Collaboration is the key to tackling today’s problems. That is why we brought together diverse teams from across all sectors on an equal footing to co-design more effective and sustainable solutions. Start Something Good® is a powerful way to make that happen”.

Organisations that have already partnered with Cwmpas and Start Something Good® to address social challenges include Vale of Glamorgan Council, UWC Atlantic, Tai Calon Community Housing, Aneurin Bevan UHB, Cardiff University, and Google. Previous events have focused on Climate Change, health and wellbeing, social care, housing, and the “The Cost of Living Crisis” and many other challenges facing communities.

What is a Start Something Good® hackathon?

Hackathons originally came from the tech industry, involving software developers, coders, and designers working intensively together over a 24- or 48-hour period to “hack out” problems and develop new ideas.

Cwmpas has found the hackathon methodology to be a fertile ground for intensive working, networking, and product and service development. The Start Something Good® approach has reframed the hackathon concept to develop innovative ideas that are good for people and the planet through a Hack of Kindness approach.

Start Something Good® events are welcoming and energetic, weaving together teamwork, fresh conversations, creativity, and an openness to exploring new ideas. Each event culminates with teams presenting their ideas. Participants have found that it has helped them to build connections with people and organisations that they have never had the opportunity to work with before and has given them fresh perspectives and insights.

Whereas other hackathon models are competitive, often with cash rewards for the winning ideas, Start Something Good® is non-competitive, promoting rather than competition.

Martin Downes FRSA, Lead Consultant for Learning and Innovation at Cwmpas, explains further:

“We face big challenges and need to reimagine a world that works for everyone. We need as many good ideas for social change as we can get. That’s why we run events that are inclusive, democratic, and encourage teams to work together for the common good. Our mantra is that cooperation beats competition every time. The Start Something Good® hackathon model is an effective way to build fresh ideas for social change.”

The launch event showcased Cwmpas’ unique approach to co-design, collaboration, and idea generation, whilst fostering a non-competitive, open, and inclusive environment.

Helen Antoniazzi, Football Association Wales, said,

“I really enjoyed being a part of the hackathon, to see people come together to create new ideas, just to see different people coming together to create new ideas. The room was full of energy, and the ideas that came out of the hackathon really showed the possibility of change and creating positive change.”

Ali Abdi, Community Gateway Partnerships Manager said, 

“My main take away is to not underestimate what a group of diverse people can come up with in short period of time that can make difference to society. I’m really looking forward to seeing how these ideas evolve.”

Martin Jones, Community Liaison at Ogi

“An extraordinary group of people, diverse, thoughtful, energised, and importantly, all wanting to improve, well, everything. It was amazing. Great speakers, bonkers energy, fast-paced but it just made you think. It challenged the normal way of thinking and personally I loved it.”