Best-in-class new website celebrates making a difference

Charity is a competitive sector, with hundreds of diverse organisations competing for public attention. For hospices, the 75% shortfall after government funding is absolutely vital to their existence. But palliative care isn’t the grabbiest of causes and, with recent political developments throwing the government’s 25% contribution into question, the stakes have never been higher.

Bray Leino’s charity of choice, North Devon Hospice had an outdated CMS and a major rebrand in the works; they desperately needed a new website – with a user experience geared to quick, simple journeys to encourage and facilitate fundraising.

The objectives were:

• For users to feel like they are part of something good and can make a difference to someone’s life
• An exceedingly slick user journey: easy navigation to relevant information, delivered in a highly engaging and dynamic way
• Unexpected design, distinctive and different from competitors
• Intuitive back office

Delivering on this meant recognising the needs and expectations of a varied audience – from patients or relatives to healthcare professionals (North Devon Hospice is a centre of excellence for palliative care), energetic corporate supporters, or small, independent fundraisers.

Define

We worked closely with North Devon Hospice to identify the core site content – this meant scrapping some poorer-performing existing content to establish a leaner, more streamlined selection.

Design

We drew from hot-off-the-press brand guidelines to deliver best-in-class desktop and mobile designs.

Develop

Collaboration was key to the development phase, with regular check-in sessions between our skilled Digital team and with North Devon Hospice to troubleshoot and explore innovative or time-saving solutions.

Leading with bold designs and sensitive photography, the finished website presents North Devon Hospice as a warm, compassionate and supportive healthcare provider dedicated to serving its community. It is also a powerful and intuitive tool to reach the fundraisers and supporters the hospice couldn’t survive without. The simplicity of the backend means a multitude of users, trained by us, will be able to make updates and keep the content up to date.

Leo Cooper, Head of Marketing and Communications at North Devon Hospice said: "The end result is amazing. It’s honestly chalk and cheese to our previous site, and it feels like a liberating moment for [North Devon Hospice]. For so long it’s felt a bit like operating with one hand tied behind our back, knowing that our old site was desperately in need of overhaul. But now it’ll be easier for people to access support, to support the cause, and generally feel the uplifting warmth and compassion that are the essence of the hospice."

For end-of-life patients, hospice care is the difference between passing away in a hospital bed and passing away in the comfort of a private room or at home. It’s a round-the-clock team dedicated to making the last months, weeks, days, and hours beautiful - and supporting families and friends before and well after the loss of a loved one. A good ending to a life well-lived is the best any of us can hope for, yet hospices must fight hard to win public charity. Delivering a best-in-class website pro bono is one of the most important ways that we, as a corporate supporter, can help North Devon Hospice.

Kate Cox, Bray Leino CEO, said: "The opportunity to make a tangible difference has been a huge motivator for our team over the course of the project. It has been many months of work and North Devon Hospice now has a place to tell their incredible story, highlight the work they do and help raise awareness and support. The hospice gifts our community professional and heartfelt end-of-life care for patients, their families and friends. This is our small gift in return."

Read about our award-winning fundraising innovation for North Devon Hospice, or contact Sam Crocker to learn more about how our Digital Experience team can drive growth for your business.