USW students win first pan Wales Hackathon with wellbeing idea

A team of students from the University of South Wales have won the first ever pan Wales Hackathon, thanks to their idea for a social prescribing app to help people across the country access health and wellbeing care in their community.

The Hackathon brought together the brightest students from universities all over Wales, across a range of degree disciplines, to develop innovative ideas to tackle real-world challenges aligned to the Wellbeing of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015.

USW students, with support from the University’s Careers team, worked in teams to refine their ideas, build confidence, and pitch to a panel of judges, including Professor Louise Bright, Pro Vice-Chancellor for Enterprise, Engagement and Partnerships; Emma Forouzan, Head of Careers Development Services; and Jon Hughes, Entrepreneurship Development Partner.

The winning team was then selected to represent USW at the all-Wales final, held at Swansea University last month – with Law students Kaya Parker and Anwen Hughes (both pictured above), as well as Chloe Whitnell and Ashok Singh Kasbia chosen as the overall winners.

Their concept, Health Bridge Wales, is a digital social prescribing app that connects healthcare and community support for patients across Wales.

As part of their prize, the students have been invited to visit the office of Derek Walker, the Future Generations Commissioner for Wales, and will attend Ideas Fest in September – a national entrepreneurship festival aimed at founders, investors and business leaders.

Anwen said: “This experience has been incredible from start to finish, and I’m so proud of what we’ve achieved together. I’d like to say a huge thank you to our USW Careers team for making this opportunity possible; your support genuinely means so much. I’m feeling incredibly grateful for this experience and everything it’s taught us, and I can’t wait to see where this journey takes us next.”

Kaya added: “I’m still taking it all in – I’m absolutely over the moon. This was something completely outside my comfort zone, and that’s what made the experience so powerful. Throwing myself into a new challenge, working under pressure, and collaborating in such a fast-paced environment made it genuinely unforgettable.

“Thank you to everyone who helped us along this journey. Without the support of the team around us this wouldn’t have been possible. I’m feeling grateful, proud, and excited for what’s next, and I’m especially looking forward to attending Ideas Fest in September and continuing this journey.”