UK charity, registration in process

We run buildathonsfor the problemscommunities face.

We help people from disadvantaged communities in England and Wales work on problems that affect them, with mentors, tools and practical support.

How a buildathon works Join the next one

People took part
120
Day to build
1
Projects recognised
3
Partner organisations
8

Figures from Buildathon London, 7 June 2026

Our purpose

For the public benefit, to develop the capacity and skills of people from socially and economically disadvantaged communities in England and Wales so that they are better able to identify and help meet their needs and participate more fully in society, in particular through buildathons, mentoring and practical programmes.

About the Foundation

The problems

Each buildathon takes on one real problem.

The trustees choose it. They look at who is affected, what evidence shows the problem is real, and whether a buildathon can do useful work on it.

Helping people find free debt advice, understand the information they are given, and know when and where to ask for help.
Helping people find reliable housing information, understand application processes, and reach the right support.
Opening up practical skills, including digital and AI tools, to people who have had fewer chances to learn them.
Working on access to technology for people who have limited use of devices, tools or the internet.
Making existing information and services easier to find, understand and use.

Do you work with people affected by a problem like these? Tell us about it and we will put it in front of the trustees.

Suggest a problem

Who we work with

People who have had fewer opportunities.

Where places are limited, priority goes to people with greater need and less access to similar opportunities. Taking part is free where funding allows.

Our programmes are for people who:

Are from low-income households
Are experiencing financial hardship
Are unemployed or underemployed
Have limited access to useful technology
Have limited access to training
Do not have access to mentors or professional networks
Have had fewer opportunities to gain practical experience
Face other social or economic barriers

Young people and students can take part where they fall within this group. Being young or being a student on its own is not enough.

The programme

How a buildathon works.

Participants do not only hear about a problem. They research it, and they build something in response.

The full format

01
The trustees choose a problem
They check who is affected, what evidence exists, and whether a buildathon can do useful work on it. The Foundation then researches the problem and writes a short brief.
02
Participants learn about it
The event opens with the problem: who it affects, what support already exists, and what the evidence says. People who know the problem first hand speak and take questions.
03
Teams pick one part
Participants work in small teams. Each team chooses one part of the problem and researches who is affected, what exists already and what could be improved.
04
Mentors support the work
Mentors help with research, technology, design and testing. They help teams narrow the problem. They do not choose the answer.
05
Teams build a simple response
A website, guide, toolkit, prototype, research report or another practical resource. It does not need to be a finished product.
06
Teams present and get feedback
Each team explains the problem, the evidence, what it built and what it would do next. Afterwards the Foundation reviews the programme and may publish useful work.

Buildathon London, 7 June 2026

What teams built at our first buildathon.

Read the full recap

Recognised by the panel
Debt Relief
Hodo Elmi Aden
Original, and aimed at a problem the market has not cracked. Strong adoption pull, a clear path to keep building, and a real shot at owning a key gap.
Recognised by the panel
Mars
Hania M
Sometimes passion makes you believe in anything. This is one of those times. With Hania it is not a matter of if, but when. We think she is one of the people who helps get us to Mars.
Recognised by the panel
Bloom
Isra Zughyer
Original, and it answers several real problems at once. It plugs a genuine gap. With more work and a little disruption, it goes far.

The audience watching teams present at Buildathon London 2026

120 people, one Sunday, presenting their work to the room.See the day

Trustee oversight

Run for public benefit.

Shared Futures Foundation is a UK charity in registration with the Charity Commission for England and Wales. Its resources are used to carry out its charitable purpose.

01
Trustees approve every programme
Before a buildathon runs, the trustees record the problem, who it is for, the evidence of need, the costs and how it supports the charitable object.
02
Conflicts of interest are declared
If a trustee or someone connected to a trustee could benefit, the interest is declared and that person takes no part in the decision.
03
No equity, no investment
The Foundation is not a business accelerator. It does not take shares in participant projects or invest in participant businesses.
04
Every programme is reviewed
Afterwards the Foundation looks at attendance, feedback, the work produced and whether the people it set out to help took part.