Why We Showed Up for BIMA Digital Day 2025. And Why We'll Be Back.

Last Wednesday, our team spent the day at Manningtree High School and FitzWimarc School for BIMA’s Digital Day 2025. We walked into two schools buzzing with energy, armed with real client briefs from Aston Martin and HelloFresh, and left genuinely inspired by what we saw.

90 conversations that mattered

Across both schools, we worked with around 90 students aged 11-16. That’s 90 young people who might not have considered a career in digital before. 90 conversations about what this industry actually looks like beyond the stereotypes. And hopefully, 90 sparks of curiosity we helped light.

For us, that’s what made the day worth it.

The ideas were brilliant

We set the students loose on two creative challenges: one for Aston Martin, one for HelloFresh. What came back genuinely surprised us.

AI avatars. VR experiences. Kids’ toys made from repurposed packaging. Influencer campaigns with real thought behind them. Brand collaborations and game integrations that actually made sense.

As Richard reflected afterwards:

“It was a reminder that you really can’t beat imagination and creative thinking — we’re all a bit too quick to jump onto ChatGPT sometimes.”

The students weren’t constrained by industry norms or “how things are done.” They just thought creatively, boldly, and without hesitation. It’s the kind of thinking we actively try to hold onto in our work, and seeing it come so naturally to them was a brilliant reminder of why fresh perspectives matter.

The questions were even better

What really stood out wasn’t just the ideas — it was the questions.

Students wanted to know how to get into marketing. What routes are available. Which qualifications actually matter. Some even asked about apprenticeships at Climbing Trees specifically (we got a few high-fives at the end, which always feels like a win).

That level of curiosity and ambition at 11-16? That’s exactly what we were hoping to see. And for us, it reinforced something important: digital careers aren’t just for a certain type of person. They’re for curious minds, problem-solvers, storytellers, designers, strategists, and people who want to build things that matter.

If Wednesday helped even a handful of students see themselves in that picture, we’ve done our job.

Why this matters to us

We’re a B Corp. That means we’ve built our business around the belief that companies should create opportunity, not just extract value.

Showing up for Digital Day isn’t a tick-box exercise for us. It’s a tangible way we can invest in the next generation — particularly students who might not have considered this industry before or who don’t yet see themselves represented in it.

As Alex put it:

“That’s 90 little lives we’ve impacted. And hopefully some of those people then think about the digital industry as a career, and especially, hopefully, some of the girls do as well.”

That matters. Representation matters. Access to opportunity matters. And if we can play even a small part in opening doors, we will.

A huge thank you

To the incredible staff at Manningtree High School and FitzWimarc School — thank you for welcoming us and for the brilliant energy you brought to the day.

To BIMA, EPAM Systems, Human First Collective, HelloFresh, and Aston Martin — thank you for creating this initiative and championing efforts to close the nation’s digital skills gap.

And to the 90 students we met on Wednesday — thank you for your ideas, your questions, and your enthusiasm. You reminded us why we love this industry, and why it’s worth fighting to make it more inclusive and accessible.

As Josh noted:

“Watching students assign roles, support each other, and work as a team was a real highlight of Digital Day.”

We’ll absolutely be back next year.