Digital Northants stories

How do you use technology to support people with dementia? Rachael Byrne from West Northamptonshire Council gives an insight into the local stories that have showed her the power of one answer: RoboPets…

Local business owners Penni and Jo Pickering tell us why they started up CoWork Club - a new event for freelancers, small business owners, and and anyone who runs their own thing.

Last night saw the first edition of NN1 Dev Club - a new quarterly event for developers, held at the Vulcan Works in Northampton. We caught up with co-founders Pawel Grzybek and Darren Sharp to find out how it went and about their plans for the future.

Rob Fuller from Northamptonshire Children’s Trust shares his story of an award-winning use of Virtual Reality to help foster carers and the children in their care.

Hear from Heidi Mills, Global Strategic Lead for XR at Bosch, on the work taking place using Virtual and Extended Reality to open up new opportunities and break down boundaries.

From making the best use of data to rewarding partnership working, Matthew Hutton gives us the lowdown on the wide variety of work taking place locally in the NHS to help join the digital dots.

In the third of our Vulcan Works mini-series, Darren Sharp from S-SA Digital talks us through their new surroundings and the brand new event they’re bringing with them.

Darren Smith, Business Growth Manager at Vulcan Works, guides us through the spaces, events and initiatives on offer in the co-working space at the heart of Northampton.

Dolores Sanders, co-founder and strategic director of Total Control Pro, explains the reasons for their recent move to Northampton’s Vulcan Works, the company’s journey and the exciting new project driving their growth.

Nicola Holland, assistant head teacher at Billing Brook School, explains her passion for technology, the partnership working that has produced results for her students and her vision for the future of an immersive innovation hub.

Northampton Film Festival is working with Northgate School and the Bee Hive on an online trailer to promote the Women’s Rugby World Cup coming to Northampton in 2025. Becky Carrier explains all about the project.

As we begin a new series exploring how technology is helping children and young people with special educational needs (SEND), Mick Hayes from Northgate School shares his experience of fostering employability among young people with SEND.

To round off 2023 for Digital Northants, our lead Richard Beards, Innovation Manager for West Northamptonshire Council, reviews the year and gives an insight into what is motivating him to go again in the new year.

Our latest Digital Northants Story comes from Heather Francis, Digital and Technology Delivery Manager for the Office of the Northamptonshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner. Heather explains the role of the Northamptonshire Cyber Security Forum, the power of the Police Cyber Alarm and how this work led to a national award win.

Northampton-based Engine Creative has been at the forefront of the digital innovation sector for more than a quarter of a century. Client Services Director Andy Wise tells us about the evolution of Engine Creative and the new technologies firing imagination within their current and forthcoming projects.

Fresh from presenting one of the most popular sessions at Merged Futures 5, Pedro Santos, Assistive Technology Project Lead at West Northamptonshire Council, shares his insights into the world of assistive technology.

Penni Pickering from Kabo Creative describes her career path, the problem with old-fashioned networking and why she decided to help bring The Marketing Meet-Up to Northampton.

Adele Gilpin, Service Design and UX Manager at West Northamptonshire Council, shares her career path, how she defines service design and the skills needed to be a great service designer.

Kerry Reynolds, Area Director for Metro Bank, is co-founder of Women in Northampton Unite, a forum for female founders. Kerry explains her route into banking, her passion to help female-led businesses and the importance of business networks for women.

To hear how Northamptonshire has become a destination for esports, we spoke to Lucy Zhu, esports lecturer at the University of Northampton, and Jacob McNally, Partnerships Coordinator at gaming events company EPIC.LAN.

Jon Clough, Managing Director of Northampton-based full service agency Creative Folks, explains their innovative way to meet increasing demand from local small businesses and charities.

James Steventon, Director of Fermynwoods Contemporary Art, explains the drive behind the organisation’s current online exhibition, what you’ll be able to explore and some of the other important work they carry out.

Kardi Somerfield, Senior Lecturer and Program Leader, BA Advertising and Digital Marketing at the University of Northampton, tells us about her approach to teaching digital marketing and why she always tries to go the extra mile for her students.

Simon Aston, Online Safety and Wellbeing Officer for West Northamptonshire Council, explains the digital empathy gap and what parents can do to support children and manage the risks they face online.

Steph Lee-Vae, an arts and design lecturer at Tresham College in Corby and Kettering, explains what they love about working with students on creative processes, how their digital art practice influences their teaching and what it was like to be named Further Education Lecturer of the Year.

Rob Lambert, Programme Leader for Games Design and Senior Lecturer in Games Art at the University of Northampton, explains the thinking behind Buildersbrew - a new company aiming to give graduates an advantage in the competitive gaming industry.

Jo Burns-Russell, CEO of Amplitude Media, shares the Northampton-based creative agency’s journey from an early member of staff working on an ironing board to a team of 12 helping to put the planet first while tackling international marketing campaigns.

When Dr James Richmond spotted a missed opportunity at Northampton General Hospital, he started working with Kieran Jones from the hospital’s communications team to implement a new solution giving accurate and up-to-date information to patients and staff.

Northamptonshire’s LibraryPlus service has always embraced new technology, bringing innovation to its locations across the county and widening digital access for all. So what are they working on at the moment and what does the future look like? Jaisant Patel explains.

From implementing new ideas quickly in response to the Covid pandemic to collaborating with organisations in the county on innovative projects, the University of Northampton has been at the forefront of change at a crucial time for digital learning.