about

humans of code is a Social Enterprise (Registered Company Number SC659767) Community Interest Company. We are a non-profit organisation.
We are advocates of diversity & inclusion, creating a safe and supportive space for others is key to what we hope to achieve.

We found that there is a great deal of focus put on ‘women in tech’ as a minority group. One of our founders, Debi Skea, dealt with almost daily sexism in her previous career, She was determined not to be singled out because of her gender and wanted to be recognised for her achievements and not as a token gesture of a female face in a male-dominated industry.

As a team it is important to us that nobody feels singled out or excluded for reasons of sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, race or any of the other protected characteristics covered by the Equality Act.

We found that there are a number of groups and organisations focussing on (people who identify themselves as) women in tech. While this is fantastic for those who feel they need a women-only group, the content being covered at these events isn’t gender-specific. We know men who would have benefitted from attending those specific presentations at that time but were excluded as they didn’t meet the eligibility criteria.

There is a lack of resources for men who are at the early stages of their coding career. An example of this is a friend and colleague of the humans of code team who was learning to code using online materials, but was finding it difficult to motivate himself and keep the momentum going, as he had no physical interaction with others doing the same thing.

For people like this, thereʼs no meetup to go to, and that doesnʼt feel inclusive to us. So after a few months of trying to figure out what part we can play in providing some sort of solution to this, humans of code was born!

It will be a free monthly meetup group primarily for people working in tech, with a strong focus on mental health. People starting out in their first role, particularly career changers, can struggle with the transition, and may not feel comfortable admitting they need help – either work-related or health-related, and before you know it – BAM! Consumed by Imposter Syndrome. That is the worst way to embark on a new career/role.

Likewise, we are for anyone starting out in a new role after a promotion, or trying to get their head around some new tech while juggling a million other projects. People who feel their career has stalled, or people who are happy exactly where they want to be… We hope to have something to offer everyone.

This group is a non-profit initiative – a Social Enterprise Community Interest Company, offering talks, informal mentoring and collaborative coding opportunities. People can bring their coding problems with them, talk them through with someone else, and/or help others. Weʼll also have panel discussions, guided conversations, and guest speakers – on both technical and non-technical subjects.To support this, there will always be at least one qualified Mental Health First Aider at each event, who will be available to listen and help sign-post people towards resources they might find useful.

We would be genuinely delighted if you would like to get involved in our initiative and please get in touch with us if you would be interested in attending our events or if you would like to provide sponsorship.

Thanks!

Debi, Tony, Ben & Chris