The IGNITION team invite you to take part in a free-to-attend, in-person hackathon
event to mark COP26 in Glasgow, where World Leaders and representatives from
almost every country on earth will join together this November to reach an agreement
on how to tackle climate change.

This event, like COP26, will be an opportunity to drill down into the details of practical
actions we can take to transform our communities by learning, collaborating, and
sharing ideas. Ideas from the event will be exhibited in a show at RHS Bridgewater in
2022.

Team submission deadline Friday 29th October.

The in-person event will take place at the University of Salford Living Lab, Cockcroft Building, Salford M5
4NT.

For University students – the event will be between 10:30am and 3pm on Thursday 4th
November.

For Schools and Youth Groups – the event will be between 10:30am and 3pm on Thursday
11th November.

The hackathon is an opportunity to come together with like-minded peers and an expert panel to contribute to a globally relevant conversation on tackling the effects of climate change. The event is an opportunity to build on your knowledge of nature-based solutions to the climate emergency, and contribute to and share your vision for the future of our city-region with other students and the GM environment sector.

A hackathon is a great way of capturing and generating new ideas, and we will be challenging you to work  together as a team to reimagine the future of Greater Manchester, and explore how we can use nature to make Greater Manchester, and the people that live here, resilient to the effects of climate change. Ideas can take any form you like, from a communications campaign to a volunteer led planting initiative and everything and anything in-between.

The day will involve a morning of lightning talks, mini workshops, and an interactive tour of the world class  Living Lab. In the afternoon, you will be generating ideas in your teams, and will finish up with the opportunity to pitch your ideas to a panel of experts in the environment sector (from researchers and scientists to policy makers, climate action officers, campaigners and activists and communicators).

Panel members to be announced shortly.

A living lab is where research takes place in the real world, and is made up of interconnected rain gardens, green roofs, green walls and SuDS trees. These systems have huge potential to transform our urban environment to help us adapt to climate change. Different monitoring sensors measure heat, water flow, and soil moisture across the site, providing real-time data for researchers. The researchers can then measure the effect of installed solutions on building heat performance, biodiversity, and human interaction. Watch the Living Lab virtual tour video to find out more about the project.

How do I take part and sign-up?

• Gather together a team of 3-6 people from your University, School or Youth organisation – no specialist skills needed, just buckets of enthusiasm.
• Fill in a quick form to register your group before Friday 29th October. Spaces are limited so sign-up asap.

University students registration form

Schools and Youth Groups registration form – for young people aged 13-25 years

Other details

• The event is free-to-attend and a vegan lunch will be provided on the day for participants.
• We encourage attendees to use green travel options to get to the University of Salford Living Lab.
• If travel expenses are a barrier to attending, please let us know in advance