[open-sustainability] Your country needs you: #FloodHack this Sunday!

Fri Feb 14 20:54:24 UTC 2014

Hi guys,

The government called a meeting today with a number of major UK tech
companies to discuss what the tech and developer community could do to help
with the flood crisis engulfing the UK.

As part of this, the Environment Agency agreed to open up real-time data on
flood levels/status, mapped across the UK, so that developers can utilize
the data for free (at least for the next three months).

We're organizing a hackathon THIS SUNDAY in Shoreditch, London, to build
apps on top of the data to try and help people keep up to date with the
issues in their area (or areas they're traveling to), and get the data they
need on how they can get help, how they can volunteer etc.

There are more details below, and on the hackpad page:
https://hackpad.com/UK-Flood-Help-February-2014-QFpKPE5Wy6s

This is obviously super short notice, but an amazing opp to build something
that could actually help thousands of people. Google have agreed to host
it, and will be sending developers, as will Facebook, Microsoft and many
other start-ups in the area (including my own).

Please spread the word, and come down if you can make it!

---

Calling all developers!

We have been hit by the worst flooding and weather the UK has seen in our
lifetimes. Getting the right information to people about the problems
affecting particular areas, and the right places to turn to help (or for
information on how THEY can help volunteer) is crucial. The government has
near real-time data on flooding levels and alerts, mapped out across the
entire country, which they want to put to the best possible use. Following
a meeting called today at Number 10 with leading technology companies, the
Environment Agency, the Government Digital Service, the Open Data Institute
and the Cabinet Office are working to open up this data to the public for
the next three months, allowing developers to build innovative applications
that can help those affected by the flooding.

This Sunday at 10am, join developers from Google, Facebook, Twitter,
Conversocial, Datasift, Mother, Taskhub and more for a hackathon, hosted by
Tech CityUK at Google Campus in Shoreditch, where the Open Data Institute
will share the flood level data with developers and be on hand to help
throughout the day. The Cabinet Office will be choosing the most useful
applications demoed on the day to be promoted to flood victims across the
country.

Please register for the hackathon
here<http://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/flood-hack-appeal-tickets-8102754557>
.

Your country needs you!

------

Hopefully see you Sunday,

Josh
   *Joshua March*
Founder & CEO, Conversocial

e: josh at conversocial.com | w: www.conversocial.com
Find me on: Twitter <http://twitter.com/joshuamarch>
LinkedIn<http://twitter.com/joshuamarch>
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