Community contributions
Even though I am now a Umbraco HQ team member, and communtiy encouragement is my job, I also still consider myself an Umbraco community member. My work to plan, organise and execute CODECABIN is done so in my capacity as a community person.
As with many other business in the Umbracosphere who give their team time during working week to contribute to Umbraco and the community, HQ gives me the time I need to plan and execute CODECABIN as my community contribution.
The idea behind CC is to create a welcoming, safe space for free discussion about Umbraco and the way we each use it, to share knowledge, ideas and to get to know people better, making connections and long-lasting friendships. My main role at CODECABIN is chief organizer and head chef. I look after all the spreadsheets for the budget, accounts, food plans. I place all supplier orders, insurance, venue, food etc. And I plan and cook the evening meals, taking everyone’s dietary requirements into consideration. Although in recent years we have employed a caterer for 1 evening and last year a caterer for the lunches, which has saved a lot of time and has allowed me to be more involved in some of the discussions.
Speaking of which, while a lot of the sessions we have over the 3 days, all decided on by our attendees, are about Umbraco, accompanying tools and how each person works with it, we do venture into other subjects. One year we had a session on life planning, discussing pensions and investments. Last year we had a great session on neurodiversity and how it impacts our work and lives, particularly pertinent as many people within our industry are neurodiverse. The best thing about being involved in such a community initiative is the way it makes people feel. There is nothing better than someone expressing how much they’ve loved CODECABIN; whether it be a tasty meal, a sense of belonging, feelings of inspiration or new found friends. It makes all the hard work worthwhile.
