Hackathon Day: Cakes, Culture and Cymrupulse

 

Yesterday was the university hackathon, and if I am completely honest, I am writing this with slightly mixed feelings. We did not win.

There, I said it.

A small part of me had secretly hoped that our idea might take the prize. We had worked incredibly hard, and by the end of the day I genuinely believed in what we had created together. But once the initial disappointment settled, something much more important stayed with me.

It was one of the most enjoyable university experiences I have had in a very long time.

The day began with presentations alongside students from other universities, setting the tone for what would become a fast paced and collaborative challenge. Once the briefings were finished, we were divided into groups and given a series of tasks connected to the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015. Each team had to choose a theme and design a concept that could contribute to the future well-being of Wales.

Our group chose Welsh culture and language.

Ironically, none of us were Welsh.

Which, as it turned out, may have been one of our greatest strengths. We approached the challenge as curious outsiders who wanted to understand and celebrate the culture around us. We asked ourselves a simple question: how could Welsh culture be made accessible to anyone, whatever their interests might be?

And so Cymrupulse was born.

Our idea was an app designed to bring every aspect of Welsh culture to your fingertips. From food to fashion, from sport to music, from language learning to local events, Cymrupulse would connect people to Wales through whatever sparked their curiosity. The aim was simple: to make Welsh culture feel alive, welcoming and easy to explore.

The team worked beautifully together. Ideas flowed quickly, tasks were shared naturally, and everyone brought something different to the table. At some point I produced the cakes and snacks I had brought along, which felt like the most natural contribution from the slightly older member of the team, who was affectionately labelled their “Uni mum”.

Our final presentation went superbly well. We created a website prototype that looked genuinely professional and clearly structured. We explored projected user figures, possible revenue streams, and the wider potential impact of the app. It was not simply a creative concept, but something that felt like it could genuinely exist.

What struck me throughout the day, though, was not just our own team but the atmosphere across the entire room.

From our year group there was, of course, the team that ultimately won the competition, and rightly so. Their idea and presentation were clearly outstanding and it was great to see the level of talent within our cohort.

There was also another group from our year, a team of boys who had turned up for the occasion fully dressed in suits, which immediately made the day feel even more official. I would have loved to see what they presented because the energy and commitment across their table suggested that team had something epic to offer.

But beyond the ideas and the competition itself, what stayed with me most was the group I had the privilege to work with.

Throughout the day I watched a group of young women who were confident, efficient, cooperative, and wonderfully inventive. They worked hard, listened to each other, built on each other’s ideas and kept their humour throughout. There was respect, consideration, and a quiet determination to do their very best.

At one point I realised something that made me smile.

These are exactly the kind of girls I would have loved to be friends with when I was a student. Back then I probably would not have had the confidence to approach them.

Yet yesterday, somehow, I found myself lucky enough to be part of their team.

So no, we did not win the hackathon.

But we built something exciting, we learned a huge amount, and we spent the day working together with creativity, enthusiasm and genuine teamwork.

And honestly, that feels like a win of its own.