We were extremely excited when asked to be the Headline Sponsor for Tameside’s Hack* event. To be given the chance to inspire young aspiring coders and developers and share our expert advice about the industry was a pleasure of ours. We were even able to set our own Nequinox Hack8 Challenge! 

What is Tameside Hack8? 

The Tameside HACK is a two-day coding contest for Tameside Hackers aged 11 to 18. Along with other Sponsor companies, we assigned challenges for the Hackers to complete in four-person teams. The best part is businesses from across Manchester donate prizes for the winning Hackers in different categories, so there are so many chances to win something! From FitBits to Bluetooth Speakers and Wireless Headphones, there were some amazing prizes up for grabs. 

Throughout the event, mentors from industry-recognised companies are on hand to offer assistance and advice to the Hackers on the day. 

We loved being part of an event that was inclusive to young, ambitious coders of all ages. During the event, there is a special mentor for beginning coders so people of all skill levels can still have fun, take part and learn. Additionally, those without computers didn’t have to worry, as computers were provided on the day to those without their own device. It was a really great day to be a part of. 

Not forgetting there were free goody bags. What’s not to love?  

The Nequinox Hack8 Challenge 

We challenged Hackers at Hack8 to utilise their creativity, problem-solving and ability to work as a team to create a new game experience that will engage players of all backgrounds and abilities. We were looking for a prototype/short demo that gets the core gameplay and ‘hook’ across to the players. 

We put together a small strategy to help the younger Hackers on their 2-day event. Members from our studio came down on the day to help answer any questions the Hackers had and give assistance on their prototypes if they needed it. It was also great to give expert industry advice to so many future coders and developers in the room. 

We hope everyone had a fantastic day at Hack8. Our team sure did. It was great to see so many young talents expanding their digital skills and giving us a glimpse into the tech stars they will be. Huge congratulations to the winning team on the day and to everyone else taking part. You all made a great impression. 

I would just like to say thank you to you all for all your support with HACK8 over the past few months. We were delighted to have you on board as Headline Sponsors, we hope you enjoyed the event and it highlighted the talent on offer in Tameside to you. All the young people and mentors were very positive towards your Challenge and input over the two days and early feedback says a good percentage of young people learnt something new and were motivated by the content.

Dean Kleban, Tameside MBC

If you’d like to read more about Tameside Hack 8 – here’s the article published by The Tameside Reporter.