Behind Campfire: Cyber Heroez
Written by Oliver Potter | 2026-03-07
Cyber Heroez CIC played a key role in supporting Campfire Birmingham, a 12-hour student-led game jam hosted at Ormiston Sandwell Community Academy as part of Hack Club’s global Campfire initiative.
The event brought together around 20 young people aged 13–18 from across the West Midlands, many of whom were experiencing coding and game development for the first time. Over the course of a single day, they collaborated in teams, experimented with new tools, and shipped playable games based on the theme “beneath the surface”.
Sponsorship and financial support
Cyber Heroez CIC provided $400 in sponsorship funding, which directly supported the delivery of the event.
This contribution enabled key aspects of the participant experience, including:
- Food and refreshments throughout the 12-hour event
- Operational logistics and event materials
- Swag and prizes for participants
This funding ensured the event remained free to attend and fully accessible, removing financial barriers for all participants.
Mentorship and hands-on support
In addition to financial sponsorship, Cyber Heroez CIC provided in-person mentorship throughout the event.
Owhonda Nwokekoro and Dipesh Thapa attended the event as mentors, supporting participants throughout the development process.
Their contributions included:
- Guiding students through early-stage technical challenges
- Assisting with debugging and project structuring
- Encouraging confidence in first-time programmers
- Supporting teamwork and collaboration under time constraints
Their presence helped create a supportive environment where participants could rapidly progress from ideas to functioning projects.
Workshop contribution and outreach
During the event, Owhonda Nwokekoro delivered a short talk introducing Cyber Heroez CIC and its mission.
He described the organisation’s focus on cybersecurity education, digital safety, and pathways into software engineering and related fields. He also outlined the organisation’s broader aim of increasing access to structured learning and mentorship opportunities for young people entering technology.
He explained:
“Our core focus is for parents, guidance, small businesses, and our key initiative currently is trying to get more kids like yourselves into IT. Our main focus is in cybersecurity, software engineering, and a mixture of the two, which is DevOps.”
This helped participants understand how the skills they were developing at Campfire connected to wider industry pathways.
Impact on participants
The combination of sponsorship, mentorship, and workshop input contributed to a highly supportive and productive environment.
By the end of the day:
- 6 complete games were successfully shipped
- Many participants had completed their first full software projects
- Teams demonstrated strong collaboration and rapid skill development
For many attendees, this was their first exposure to building software in a structured, real-world environment.
Reflection
Cyber Heroez CIC’s involvement was central to the success of Campfire Birmingham. Their contribution went beyond financial sponsorship, extending into active mentorship and educational engagement throughout the event.
As organiser, the combination of funding and hands-on support had a direct and measurable impact on both the delivery of the event and the learning experience of participants.
The involvement of Owhonda Nwokekoro and Dipesh Thapa reflects a broader commitment to increasing access to digital skills, supporting young people, and building clear pathways into technology.
Campfire Birmingham demonstrated what becomes possible when sponsorship is paired with active mentorship: stronger learning outcomes, greater confidence, and a more inclusive environment for all participants.