Last weekend the Generator and Criminology hosted a #GreHacks event in partnership with The Met Police. The two-day hackathon brought students together from across the university to consider plans to reform the Met and to think about the needs of the communities it serves. Students also focused on The Met’s two-year plan ‘A New Met for London’ where they are hoping to deliver more trust, less crime and higher standards. The plan recognises that there are instances where the public has felt let down including women, members of the LGBT+ community, people from BAME backgrounds and disabled people.
Students were put together in groups and worked on recruitment strategies and a communications campaign that aligned with The Met’s new goals. They also took part in an interactive activity giving them the chance to experience overseeing a Met Basic Command Unit (BCU). The activity tested their decision-making by challenging them to make interventions about crime scenarios that the Met typically deal with.
To kick off the weekend students had an overview of the Met Police from Detective Chief Inspector Brian Kelleher about the current statistics, goals and issues in the organisation. To help them succeed, workshops were presented throughout the weekend equipping them with the skills to create impactful solutions. These workshops included a masterclass in Business Problem Solving by Aaron Tan, Senior Teaching Fellow in Entrepreneurship, a marketing workshop by Saph Haddouche a Freelance Marketing Specialist and a masterclass in Making Sense of Data by Sarah Kilbane, Senior Lecturer in Criminology.
The students then pitched their ideas to our panel of judges; Jane Harrington, Vice Chancellor of the University of Greenwich, DCI Brian Kelleher, Lynette Lisk, Programmes Manager at The Generator and Dr Ella Simpson, Senior Lecturer in Criminology. Lynette Lisk said of the hack ‘The Generator's MET police #GreHack organised jointly with the Criminology Department was a fantastic opportunity for students to explore the complexities of policing London. The event showcased UoG students' creative business problem-solving skills and resulted in radical boundary-pushing solutions.’
The hack is the first of three the Generator will hold over the next academic year with partners including Amazon and iYTAL CBD gum. The #GreHacks programme is a great way for students to collaborate, gain industry experience and valuable skills to help them with their future careers.
Apply for the next #GreHacks
Applications are now open for our next #GreHacks with iYTAL CBD gum. iYTAL is a premium CBD gum brand founded in 2020 by a UoG Alumni, their plant-based gum is produced from high-quality industrial hemp plants. iYTAL is committed to revolutionizing the CBD chewing gum industry by offering a refreshing and sustainable experience. During the hack, you'll work on marketing, branding and business development challenges and present your solutions to a panel of judges and the other student teams. This event is perfect for students from all faculties who want to experience being a business consultant and hone their skills in areas such as pitching and presenting, teamwork and business problem-solving.
The deadline for applications is the 23rd November.
