Suffolk Digital

Suffolk Hack Day

emmajell — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 11:41:53 +0000

What?
Hack Days have come to Ipswich! Come and join a talented group of developers and designers to build something awesome… in a day. Give a lightning talk about your favourite language or library, or just come along to meet some new people.

The Challenge!
Build an application, a hack or something cool. In 11 hours. The theme is APIs. Your application must use an API somewhere in it.

The Plan?
The day will start at 9am where we will meet, say hi and form teams (if you wish, solo is cool too). Then coding will start and we will aim to show what we’ve each built at 8pm. The winner will be decided by a vote at the end of the day.

When?
28/4/2012 – 9am to 9pm

Where?
UCS, Waterfront Building, Neptune Quay, Ipswich

Questions?
Email us

REGISTER HERE – It’s Free!

More Details
You will be fed lunch & dinner at the event, please let us know of any dietary requirements

**Please do all coding at the event, no cheating please!

NB. This event is organised by Tom Crinson

4 days left to prove we want SUPERFAST Broadband!

emmajell — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 14:53:09 +0000

This is your chance to change the future.

Remember when you first saw someone with an iphone? (or similiar smartphone!?) Remember how cool it was? How slick, how efficient, how the lucky owner could do several tasks seemingly simultaneously, text, email, take photos, use zappy apps all on one device and so quickly? Remember how you wanted one? Well, the advent of fast broadband* will have the same effect.

( Convinced already? Skip the essay: GO SIGN THE Residential Survey AND/OR Business Survey )

There’s just one tiny problem, without having seen faster broadband in action, without looking over someone’s shoulder and saying “oh wow!” you have to say now that you want it. It’s not as easy as walking into a shop the day after you’ve seen it and saying “I’ll have one of those”. We have to build the infrastructure NOW to get faster broadband to our homes and businesses. We also have to act together as a county and say “Hey, we want some of that!”. We have just 10 days left to demonstrate that local people want faster broadband in order to convince Suppliers of faster broadband to bid and compete to provide it for us.
As it stands just over 7,000 people in Suffolk have completed the 3 minute survey to show they would be interested in faster broadband.

We need to get this figure over 10,000.

This is the BEST CASE SCENARIO if we achieve this we will be able to luxuriate in the knowledge that we did our best to get the best deal for our county, for home users and business users.

“It’s vital we breakthrough the 10,000 signups to demonstrate need and nail the deal” Therese Coffey, MP

IF we can’t be bothered to fill in the form or we’re not sure whether we will want it, we’d rather wait and see etc.. it will be too late. We risk missing out, we risk being left behind as surrounding counties and nations go for it and our businesses continue to struggle with one of the worst broadband networks in the UK.

You just need to stand up now and predict that we’ll want this – for better Healthcare, better Education, better Business, better Entertainment and ultimately a better Society in Suffolk.

You can read below the thoughts of some key Suffolk people on why we all want faster broadband in Suffolk.

ACTION STATIONS!!

If you live in Suffolk please complete the Residential Survey <– CLICK HERE!

If you have a business in Suffolk please also complete the Business Survey <– CLICK HERE!

Just think how much faster this would be with better broadband…

DON’T STOP NOW! Please send this email on..click “forward” and pick 10 people from your address book in Suffolk.

1. The Residential case – Watching TV online, Playing online games, Working from home, checking email, uploading photos and videos, Streaming the News, using Social Networks, Transferring files – how does your current broadband cope with doing these? What if there is more than one person in the household on their laptop also carrying out one of the above activities?

“Our lamentable broadband impacts on our quality of life, and most Suffolk people have learnt to accept it. But why should we, when we have the power to change things? We have as much right as everyone else in the UK to work efficiently on line, to rewatch TV programmes, to receive emails and to download our favourite music.
Erika Clegg – Founder/ MD of Spring (Award winning Suffolk based Digital Agency)

“Local people will be able to connect more quickly and easily with local businesses and more easily use online resources, video calling, online gaming and mass collaboration at a local level will become possible. Local education will benefit from faster access to video & online educational resources eg. British Library and international/ global resources. People will also benefit from being able to connect & collaborate with other schools locally, nationally and internationally” Simon Grice, BeLocal.com

2. The Small business case – Broadband is now essential for small businesses. Faster broadband has the potential to preserve the rural nature of the county by enabling a strong cottage industry and small business ecosystem allowing productivity yet maintaining Suffolk’s rural charm. Businesses are currently struggling with slow or non existent broadband and are finding themselves unable to compete on a global arena.

“I started my high tech business Flumes Media in Suffolk because it’s a beautiful, creative area to live and work with affordable property and services as well as good access to London. The biggest thing stopping me grow the company in Suffolk is the poor broadband coverage, particularly for home workers. With that in place Suffolk would be one of the most ideal places to start a creative internet based company in the UK which in I think could have a dramatic effect on economic growth in the region” Steve Butterworth Founder of Flumes.com

3. The Regional development case – We would have an environment attractive to big businesses creating employment in the region. Faster broadband will enhance tourism as many visitors expect good speeds.

“With 100mbps broadband we can become a globally competitive county. We will be able to transform public services leading to money savings and a more efficient & effective service. The environment will be more attractive for inward investment. It’s very important we do it – in a few years demand will be racing upwards, we need the vision and foresight to create the framework now.” Tim Passmore – The Leader of the District Council, Chair of Suffolk Public Sector Leaders and Chief Executives Group.

4. The missing out case – Without it our businesses will stagnate or migrate. Children will grow up ill equipped for the future.

Last year The Suffolk Foundation commissioned a report from the University of Cambridge which highlighted that “if internet access is expensive or of poor quality, it can compound disadvantage”. Social deprivation can be made up of many factors, and disadvantage in rural parts of the county is compounded by poor internet access as public services and community activities are increasingly delivered or publicised online. via Judi Newman of The Suffolk Foundation

“It would help inexperienced users, especially the elderly, whose confidence is lowered when they have to wait for something to happen and then click too often.” Kate Byford of Just One Click

What are you waiting for?! If you sign the survey and send this on to at least 10 others and they in turn sign & send it on etc etc over the next ten days we can easily provide the evidence to show WE WANT FASTER BROADBAND!

GO, GO, GO! You have 3 minutes to change the future: http://www.suffolk.gov.uk/broadband

*Fast broadband – by which we mean 100mb per second (and a minimum of 20mbps), as already being used in many cities in the UK(high concentrations of population so commercially viable) and also rurally across Japan, Germany and more. According to Virgin.net this is what you can do with 100mbps:

What can I do with 100Mb?

Download an entire music album in as little as 5 seconds; a TV show in around 30 seconds, a high quality movie in as little as 1½ minutes and a high definition movie in around 7 minutes. 100Mb really excels when the whole house is online at the same time – whether for streaming HD videos, downloading HD movies, gaming online or accessing everyday services. With 100Mb broadband there is plenty of connection for everyone!

**If you make it this far down – here’s the twitter stream from the Suffolk Better Broadband Conference last week: http://storify.com/emmajell/suffolk-better-broadband-conference-march-2012

Suffolk Startup Session – Catch up on Bootstrapping

emmajell — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 13:39:14 +0000

Suffolk Digital Startup Session Monday 27th Feb 2012

After a great Suffolk Startup Session on the subject of Bootstrapping your business with Adrian Melrose, Cathy Frost and Sue Ashurst several key messages have lingered in my mind…

Top tips:

Use Smarta.com – a great information resource for startups

Establish a revenue stream as soon as possible

Use the plethora of free internet tools to keep costs down

Be nimble – adapt to changing circumstances – keep that revenue stream going!

Create the working culture you want.

Consider your relationship with business partners very carefully. Start from a position of divorce…

Be nice to your customers!

Interestingly, all three speakers referred to themselves as “unemployable”. It seems that the path of an entrepreneur leads to the aquisition of skills which are not necessarily desirable when seeking to be employed by larger companies. But the fact that the entrepreneur themselves feels they are unemployable is probably also an expression of the fact that they no longer wish to be employed by a larger organisation – having experienced frustration and a lack of independence or “nimbleness” during previous roles. For the ladies it was also related to the fact that once they became mothers they could no longer be employed in the highly skilled jobs they had previously held, in part due to choosing to live in Suffolk and also due to having more demands on their time – ultimately this situation became a catalyst inspiring them to set up shop (literally in Cathy’s case) for themselves.

You can catch the twitter stream from the night here

Finally, next Startup Session is 26th March at IM on Investment & Investors

Investors & Investment – Startup Session 4

emmajell — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 07:51:55 +0000

After our last Suffolk Startup Session looking at building your business bootstrapping style this next session will be looking at the next steps: Investors & Investment

We’ll explore how to find the right Investors for you, what Investors are looking for and how to secure Investment in your business.

Speakers to be announced shortly.

About Startup Sessions

Suffolk Digital has now partnered with the Eastern Enterprise Hub to turn our previous Startup Masterclasses into a series of quality seminars aimed at developing startups in Suffolk. Whether you’re thinking about a new venture, already started or keen to find new inspiration and focus these sessions could be for you.

Inspiring entrepreneurs will be sharing the stories & challenges of their entrepreneurial journeys over a series of Startup Sessions designed to equip you with all the necessary information and skills needed to undertake your own Startup journey.. They will cover the decisions and choices taken along the way and the results – both good and bad

Previous Suffolk Startup Sessions: http://suffolkdigital.org/upcoming-events/startup-masterclass-evolves-to-become-the-startup-sessions

Ask us a question on Twitter @suffolkdigital

See photos on Facebook: www.facebook.com/suffolkdigital

Jelly time @ Innovation Martlesham

emmajell — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 07:12:18 +0000

Co-working, soapboxing day at Innovation Martlesham

There are restrictions in place due to the secure nature of the site therefore the event will be held between 10am – 2.30pm
We are limited to 30 places so be quick and secure your place now!

Slots are also open now for those wishing to Soapbox – just send us an email telling us what you’d like to talk about: team@suffolkdigital.org

Directions to Adastral Park can be found here:- http://atadastral.co.uk/how-to-find-us/
Information about the Shuttle Bus Service between Ipswich Station and Adastral Park can be found here: http://grassroutes.info/bus/shuttle-bus/

N.B. It is very important that upon arrival at Adastral Park you report to Reception to collect your “Site Pass” There is ample parking in the visitor car park.
*This Event is supported by Innovation Martlesham, in association with IP Network

The Startup Sessions “Lean, Mean, Bootstrapping Success”

emmajell — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 17:20:50 +0000

Our next Startup Session will be 27th February 6pm at the Eastern Enterprise. Our theme is “Lean, mean, bootstrapping Success”.

We will be joined by:

Adrian Melrose of First65 who will be talking about Lean Startup philosophies plus his own experiences of Startups

Cathy Frost of Love One who will be sharing her startup beginnings

Sue Ashurst of Holy Cow who will be sharing her advice to startups on a low budget

We’ll be grilling them all to find out how to be realistic about setting up a business with few resources in the current climate – with their combined experience we are sure there will be plenty to learn from. Do come along with your own questions too!

Tickets are £10 and are available HERE.

AGENDA

6:00pm: Registration & Networking
6:30pm: Introductions
6:40pm: Adrian Melrose discussing Lean Startup philiosophies
7:05pm: Open discussion, Q&A
7:25pm: Break
7:35pm: Cathy Frost and Sue Ashurst
8:00pm: Open discussion, Q&A
8:20pm: Beer & Networking
9:00pm: Finish

Suffolk Jelly @ UCS Incubator 7th Feb 2012

suffolkdigital — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 17:51:06 +0000

It’s time for the first Jelly Co-working event of 2012!
Our last Jelly event at EeHub had a great response with around 40 people attending to learn, work and find new business leads, partners and suppliers. This time the Jelly will be in the newly refitted Atrium at UCS in Ipswich which is a must-see space!

What is a “Jelly”?

It’s a global movement to help freelancers, remote/home office workers and others work from a friendly communal space for a day. Think of it as a pop-up office. It’s open to all and you’ll meet other local home based workers, freelancers and creative types. Or perhaps you already work in an office but just fancy a change of scene. There’s more information about the movement at workatjelly.com.

Where is it happening?

We are really excited to be holding our first Jelly of 2012 at The Atrium which is part of UCS in Ipswich. It’s a lovely recently renovated building just off the waterfront in Ipswich. There are several car parks in and around the waterfront. The building is not the main new building on the waterfront but just across the road and across the car park from the main building you’ll find the Atrium.

Can I come?

Jellies are open to all. We provide the wifi, a desk, chair and great company, probably some lightning talks or soap box sessions as we call them. Just turn up with a laptop. You can just appear on the day but we’d prefer if you registered so we had an idea of numbers. We’ll take payment on the day which is £5 for half a day and £10 for the day.

What actually happens?

We’ll show you around and help get you set up. You can come and go as you please. There is no definitive time you must be there or leave. We’ll open the doors at 10.3am and will have a few soap box sessions throughout the day to help people mingle, learn, and network. These sessions will range from talking about social media to open data and hopefully lots more. Perhaps you have something to talk about with great enthusiasm for 5 minutes? Why not volunteer to do a soap box session? We hope to host more Jellies at different venues around Suffolk, so do come along, join in and find out what it’s all about.

What you need

Suggested items to bring along on the day: laptop, paper, pen, friendly disposition, anything you want to show off or talk about.

Teas, Coffee and a variety of refreshments will be available from the Atrium cafe.
Lunch: bring your own or there are cafes and a well known supermarket within a few minute’s walk

COST: £10 payable on the day

Coding for Grown Ups

suffolkdigital — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 18:00:02 +0000

One of Suffolk Digitals new years resolutions is to teach people In Suffolk how to code. Thats if they want to learn. We want to show that its not rocket science and there is plenty of help and support out there for you to add a very desirable skill to your CV or hobby list.

How does it work?

The guys over at Codecademy have just started the wonderful code year project. Its a free online course to help beginners get into programming. So we want you to sign up to the course, start getting your weekly exercises and work your own way through the tasks at your leisure. No pressure! We will have a monthly face to face meetup as well as an online chat group to help you succeed and make it more fun.

Where do I signup?

Head over to code year and sign up to the course and then sign up to our meetup and you’re done. Get coding and come and meet some like minded people. If you would like ongoing support online then signup to our online chat group too. The work shouldn’t take up much of your spare time and you can go through it at whatever pace you like. We’re here to help because we want to make Suffolk more digitally savvy and build businesses and jobs in any way we know how.

We look forward to seeing you at our first meetup on the 25th Jan 6pm @ The Brewery Tap

Bury St Edmunds Tweetup

suffolkdigital — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 12:49:13 +0000

Our next tweetup in Bury will be on 26th January at the wonderful Benson Blakes Bar & Grill in the town centre. We are going to start making these regular monthly gatherings at the Brewery Tap in Ipswich. As ever the event is open to all and is fantastic for informal networking and chat. The Bury Tweetups are organised by the lovely David Giffin (@dgiffin)

Tweetups are a great way to get away from the screen and communicate with people face to face. We love twitter but we still like real people, beer and relaxing which tweetups are a great opportunity to bring all together! We get a real mix of people, from techies to freelancers, business people and farmers. Everyone is welcome and the mix of people makes it all the more interesting. We get local people from all walks of life who use twitter or are intrigued by what it has to offer. Come along and say hello - it’s free.. just pay for your drinks!

Ipswich Tweetup

suffolkdigital — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 12:41:18 +0000

Our next tweetup in Ipswich will be on 25th January. We are going to start making these regular monthly gatherings at the Brewery Tap in Ipswich. As ever the event is open to all and is fantastic for informal networking and chat.