Computing student powers national VE Day 80th Anniversary campaign

Barnsley College Computing student, Jamie Baines, has played a pivotal role in bringing to life a unique national campaign commemorating the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe (VE) Day.

The VE80 campaign #VEHAPPY invites the public to upload their ‘V for Victory’ selfies to ve80.com/vehappy, which are then integrated into a striking digital mosaic recreating the iconic image of Winston Churchill addressing a jubilant crowd in 1945.

Computing students at the College were set the task of developing the functionality for #VEHAPPY by the team behind the VE80 celebrations. They were given a clear vision: to develop a bespoke web application that could automatically generate a digital mosaic from user-submitted photographs, overlaying them onto a templated image - specifically, the iconic photograph of Winston Churchill giving the V for Victory sign.

The development was undertaken as a collaborative effort between Computing tutor, Oran Kenyon and the second-year Software Development T Level students at Barnsley College. The project formed a valuable real-world learning opportunity that bridged technical knowledge with meaningful social impact.

Oran said: “After some initial guidance and structural scaffolding from myself, Jamie took the lead on the project carrying out extensive independent research and successfully developed the entire application. The final product demonstrates not only technical proficiency but also resilience and adaptability - hallmarks of an industry-ready developer.”

Jamie developed the functionality allowing users to see their own uploaded photo within the larger image of Churchill, either by searching with a unique ID or by browsing the grid. The final product not only had to meet the creative vision of the campaign but also operate with speed and efficiency. Jamie managed to do this despite a tight three-week turnaround and ongoing academic pressures.

When asked about why he took on the project, Jamie said: “My primary reason for getting involved was that it sounded really interesting project which I had never done before. I love a good challenge when it comes to programming projects and enjoy the difficult ones where I have to try and figure problems out.”

Through the experience, Jamie strengthened his skills in image processing, data management, and high-performance coding - all while learning to juggle intense academic and technical demands.

Jamie concluded: “I enjoyed how difficult and complex the project was, but most of all I enjoyed completing the project and the satisfaction of seeing it fully functional as intended.”

Oran praised his student’s skill: “Jamie has been completing a placement with ARM, a world-leading microprocessor design company whose chip architectures are used in billions of devices globally, including nearly every smartphone. Jamie’s experience with ARM has clearly helped accelerate his skillset, and this project was a testament to his capabilities and growing confidence as a software engineer.”

Barnsley College Principal and Chief Executive, David Akeroyd, said: “This website is a technical marvel – and it is all the more impressive given it was created by a single student. Jamie not only delivered to a challenging brief within a tight deadline, but did so with creativity and flair that shine through in the final product.

“At Barnsley College, we’re committed to helping students become exceptional in all they do, ensuring they leave us with the skills, knowledge and attitudes to succeed in their chosen line of work. This project is a perfect example – Jamie rose to the challenge in the way any professional would be expected to, and he has clearly flourished as a result of the experience.”

The #VEHAPPY campaign continues to collect public contributions, bringing together a digital tapestry of remembrance and unity in honour of one of history’s most significant moments.