April is shaping up to be a busy month if you’re passionate about using technology to make a difference. From automatiom-powered tools designed to support people experiencing homelessness, to VR training designed to save lives, there’s a lot happening in Leeds at the intersection of tech and social impact.
Three sessions are part of Leeds Digital Festival’s Mini-Fest (21–23 April), which offers three days full of opportunties to learn, connect and get inspired.
Whether you’re a developer, a data specialist, a business leader or simply someone who cares about what technology can do for communities, here are five events worth getting to before the month is out.
Mastek4Good – A Leeds Digital Software Engineering Community
If you’re a software engineer who wants to do something meaningful with your skills, this is worth your time. Mastek4Good is a volunteer community of Leeds-based developers, brought together by global IT firm Mastek.
They’re working alongside homeless charity Simon on the Streets to build a free, bespoke automation-powered case management – improving coordinated access to healthcare for some of the city’s most vulnerable people.
Natalie Clark, CEO of Simon on the Streets, called the partnership “the start of something that could make a real difference to the way we work, and more importantly, enable us to reach even more of the people who need our support.”
The project launched earlier this year to a full room, and the April 30th meetup is the next step. Attendees can expect a project update, the latest on user research, a breakout session on requirements development and a technical update.
The sessions are structured with time built in for collaboration – and there’ll be food and drinks too. Engineers at all levels are welcome, as are computer science students, data and AI enthusiasts, and product and UX specialists.
- When: Thursday 30 April
- Time: 5:30pm–8:30pm
- Where: Mastek, 36 Park Row, Leeds, LS1 5JL
- Cost: Free
- Tickets: Eventbrite
Nibbles & Natter
HelloHope, a Leeds-based suicide prevention charity, recently won Amazon’s Charity Innovation Award along with a £10,000 prize to develop a world-first VR suicide prevention training programme – condensing essential learning into a two-to-three hour immersive experience and reaching people who might never access traditional multi-day training.
The evening is deliberately informal. In partnership with Homage2Fromage, HelloHope is hosting a help-yourself buffet of eight cheeses, fresh breads, crackers and chutneys at the Adelphi pub in Leeds. Founder and CEO Ellie MacDonald will give a short intro to the charity’s work, and Homage2Fromage’s Nick Copland will share his no-snobbery approach to cheese events.
Tickets are £24, with all profits going directly into HelloHope’s mental health and suicide prevention work. For business leaders looking for networking with a genuine purpose – and a very good cheeseboard – this is a great shout.
- When: Thursday 16 April
- Time: 6pm–9pm
- Where: Adelphi Leeds, LS10 1JQ
- Cost: £24
- Tickets: Ticket Tailor
Nexus Connect: Obesity in Preventative Health
Part of Leeds Digital Festival’s Mini-Fest, this panel event at Nexus, University of Leeds brings together researchers, data scientists and digital health innovators to explore how technology is transforming preventative health – with a particular focus on obesity.
The speakers include Dr Stuart Flint, President and Medical Director at Scaled Insights and Associate Professor at the University of Leeds; Prof Michelle Morris, Professor of Data Science for Food at the University of Leeds; Prof Louisa Ells, Co-director of the Obesity Institute at Leeds Beckett University; and Tsitsi Chinyandura, Founder of Lotessa. Together they’ll dig into how advanced data modelling and behavioural AI are changing the way we understand and tackle complex health challenges.
The format is relaxed: grab a drink, listen to the panel, then stick around for networking and nibbles. It’s open to anyone with an interest in innovation, regardless of role, seniority or sector.
- When: Tuesday 21 April
- Time: 4pm–6pm
- Where: Nexus, Discovery Way, University of Leeds, LS2 3AA
- Cost: Free
- Tickets: Leeds Digital Festival
Tech and Data for Good: Preventing Harm and Supporting Wellbeing
Also part of Leeds Digital Festival’s Mini-Fest, this CGI-hosted evening explores how organisations are using technology and data to prevent harm, influence behaviour responsibly and support digital wellbeing.
GAMSTOP, the UK’s national online gambling self-exclusion service, will explain how they use data and technology to help people block access to gambling platforms and take back control of their habits. Skipton Building Society will share how data-driven insight and ethical innovation is helping more people into homes and making money work harder for their members.
An interactive panel discussion follows, exploring questions around ethical technology design, the role of data in prevention, and the real-world challenges organisations face when trying to build systems that protect users. Experts from across technology, data and digital services will share their experiences and take questions from the room. Food and drinks provided.
- When: Wednesday 22 April
- Time: 5:30pm–9:00pm
- Where: CGI, 1 Whitehall Quay, Leeds, LS1 4HR
- Cost: Free
- Tickets: Leeds Digital Festival
Health Innovation Leeds Incubator: Ignition Event
Completing the trio of Mini-Fest events, this breakfast session marks the launch of an initiative designed to accelerate healthtech innovation across the region.
The Health Innovation Leeds Incubator is funded by the West Yorkshire Investment Zone and led by Nexus at the University of Leeds, alongside Leeds Beckett University and Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust. It aims to support regional healthtech companies at every stage, from early-stage startups developing new digital health products to established businesses navigating NHS adoption.
The launch brings together healthtech innovators, NHS leaders, researchers and city figures. There’ll be a welcome from Richard Paxman, chair of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority HealthTech cluster, and a fireside chat with Ed Whiting, Chief Executive of Leeds City Council. Attendees will also have the chance to shape the Incubator’s three-year programme by sharing their biggest priorities.
- When: Tuesday 21 April
- Time: 8:15am–11:00am
- Where: Nexus, Discovery Way, University of Leeds, LS2 3AA
- Cost: Free
- Tickets: Eventbrite
