SQLBits 2026 has raised £890 for its official charity partner, Code Club, thanks to proceeds from swag sales across the event.
The funds will go towards supporting Code Club’s mission to help young people aged 9 – 16 develop digital skills through free, volunteer-led coding clubs. These sessions typically introduce children to programming through creative, project-based activities such as building games, animations, and simple websites using accessible tools like Scratch and introductory web languages.
This year’s partnership went beyond fundraising, with two fully booked Code Club sessions taking place during SQLBits. In these hands-on workshops, young participants explored coding through fun, structured challenges designed to spark curiosity and confidence in technology.
After their coding sessions, the groups were given access to the SQLBits Expo Hall, where they met sponsors, explored stands, and collected swag, getting a first-hand feel for what it’s like to be inside a large technology conference. The combination of practical coding, creative exploration, and exposure to industry environments reflects the wider Code Club approach: learning by doing, building confidence, and opening doors to future careers in technology.
In addition to these sessions, Code Club was present across SQLBits throughout the week. On Wednesday afternoon, Justin Bird and Sarah Roberts, Code Club’s Community Manager for Wales, led a session on Running Code Clubs, offering practical guidance on how to set up and sustain clubs, including approaches for both general and neurodiverse-focused settings. In the evening, attendees took part in “Code Club Experience – for Adults!”, a relaxed, hands-on session designed to recreate a typical Code Club environment through creative coding challenges and small projects, giving participants a first-hand feel for the types of activities young people experience and how people can get involved.
With £890 raised and two fully booked workshops delivered, this year’s partnership has already made a tangible impact, supporting Code Club’s work to inspire the next generation of developers while bringing a new dimension of community engagement to SQLBits. Following the success of this year’s sessions, there is a strong intention to run them again at future events, with a view to building on the format and expanding the Code Club presence further in the years ahead.