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Build & Brew — Drop-in Making Sessions

Come and have a brew. Make something real. No experience needed.

Build & Brew is a free drop-in session at the Lighthouse Project where people make things together — websites, electronic gadgets, community tech, AI tools — using free, open source software and hardware.

There's no course to sign up for. No registration form. No prior knowledge required. Just turn up, grab a coffee and a piece of cake, and see what's happening.

There's a community WiFi network running across the College Bank, Freehold and Falinge estates in Rochdale (The Rochdale Mesh), and it was built by people who started exactly where you are now — with little or zero experience and plenty of curiosity. That's all you need to walk through the door.

Technology & Code

  • Websites and web apps
  • Coding in Python, JavaScript and more
  • AI tools and automation
  • Open source software

Making & Hardware

  • Electronics and microcontrollers
  • Community mesh networking
  • LoRa radio and sensors
  • Whatever you want to try
Stickers For Grown Ups lol

FREEDOM!!!!!

Everything we use is free and open source.

That means no expensive software licences, no subscriptions, no vendor lock-in. What you learn here, you own. Nobody can take it away from you or charge you for it — and you can share it with anyone you like.

This isn't about getting a qualification or ticking a box. It's about discovering what you're capable of when someone gives you the right tools and a bit of encouragement.

MidiDigi

Every Thursday between 2:00pm and 4:00pm

Build & Brew is delivered through the Lighthouse Project MidiDigi programme. Sessions are open to anyone and everyone. No referral needed. Just drop-in and have a brew, and see where that takes you.

It's free. It's informal. Coffee and cake are on. Bring a friend, bring a question, or just bring yourself.

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