Preetnoor Nagi is a 3rd Year Chemistry student and recently participated in our Social Hackathons. Read on about her experience on redesigning a newsletter for one of our partner organisations, Poplar HARCA, and what to expect from our digital hackathons!
What made you decide to sign up for the Hackathon?
Having just completed my final year exams, I was looking for a way in which I could give back to those struggling during the COVID-19 pandemic. Thanks to my tutor who sent me the opportunity, I discovered the Social Hackathon on the Volunteering Service website and knew I wanted to be a part of it.
How did you find the Social Hackathon Experience? (The problem you had to solve, having to work with other volunteers, coming up with solutions within one working day etc.)
Being a part of Social Hackathon was incredibly fun and rewarding! I had the chance to work with people from all sorts of degree backgrounds, ages and skill sets, learning from and teaching one another in a friendly and collaborative atmosphere. For our group, we had to design a newsletter for our designated charity and propose activities for the elderly to occupy their time during lockdown. The time-pressure to do so provided a challenge for all of us but we had a lot of fun coming up with our ideas together!
Did you get to put any of your skills and knowledge into practice and/or did you feel like you developed skills or knowledge from the Social Hackathon?
The Volunteering Service was able to match my skill set incredibly well. I was able to use my skills and knowledge as a Marketing Officer in order to contribute towards redesigning a more convenient and appealing newsletter for the charity we were working with. Moreover, by undertaking the Hackathon I enhanced my teamwork, collaboration, time-management and communication skills all in one, with a lovely group of people.
Do you have a deeper understanding of the issues your assigned charity faces?
Definitely! Before the Social Hackathon I had not heard of Poplar HARCA and the work they do. After volunteering for them, I have a much better understanding of what they provide as a charity, the impact of their various sub-sections and the importance of their work, which has been crucial during the pandemic.
How did you find the virtual aspect of the Hackathon? (Getting to grips with using Zoom/Teams, Google Docs etc.)
Getting to grips with using Zoom and Google docs was seamless thanks to the instructions provided by the Social Hackathon team. Being able to work on Google docs and breaking up into smaller focus groups helped us create and discuss our ideas nicely in a short amount of time. We could also easily get in touch with a member of the charity or the Social Hackathon team for any clarification on the task whenever it was needed.
Would you recommend other students to take part in a virtual Social Hackathon? Do you have any tips?
I would absolutely recommend Social Hackathons to anyone who enjoys problem-solving as a team in a way that gives back since it really does make a difference. It was an incredibly rewarding experience to see our ideas be brought to life and accepted whole-heartedly by the charity. In terms of tips, I would suggest that anyone who wants to join comes with an open mind and some ideas in a Word document before the day to ensure it runs smoothly. By doing so, you’ll be able to maximise the working time you have to give back as much as possible to the charity during the virtual Hackathon day.
If you're interested in participating in the next Social Hackathons, subscribe to our newsletter to find out when the next one will be held. You can also support charities anytime from home - check out our virtual volunteering roles here!