Building Community and Support Around Acorn Village
“We love the new website – it’s welcoming, modern and easy for staff to update. It clearly shows everything Acorn Village has to offer and how to get involved.”
Michelle Cook, Chief Executive at Acorn Village
Background
Acorn Village is a care community in Mistley, Essex, providing person-centred support for adults with learning disabilities. Founded in 1972, Acorn Village offers residential care, supported living, creative therapies, training, room hire and a public café.
They approached 101 Websites and Apps after seeing the website we created for the Essex Care Association (ECA), of which they are members. They were drawn to its fresh, clean layout and our understanding of the care sector.
The Brief
Acorn Village asked us to create a modern, user-friendly website that reflects their ethos and promotes every aspect of their work, from care and community life to fundraising, training and the café, delivering it in a cost-effective way. The key goals set out in their brief were as follows:
Acorn Village wanted a website that better represented who they are: a welcoming, person-centred community with a strong sense of care and creativity.
With so much information to share, Acorn Village needed a clear, accessible site that allows visitors to easily find what they need and explore everything the Village has to offer.
As a registered charity, fundraising is vital for Acorn Village. The new site needed to signpost ways to support them financially and community engagement opportunities.
Acorn Village wanted full control over their content with no need to rely on an external agency for making updates.
Acorn Village wanted a website that delivered all their goals while respecting their budget. They needed a high-quality, affordable solution, offering long-term value without ongoing costs for external support.
Our Solutions
To bring Acorn Village’s vision to life, we created a website that is inviting, easy to use and showcases all aspects of the Village:
We created a modern, inviting website using soft green tones that complement the Village’s countryside setting and images throughout the site. Branding is clearer, with more focus on the charity’s ethos, ‘People First, Disability Second’, while the clean layout conveys their calm, caring approach. A key feature is the addition of resident and staff testimonials throughout the site, bringing Acorn’s services and support to life for visitors to the website.
The website structure makes it straightforward for visitors to find information and explore what’s on offer, from their services to their café, training courses, room hire, news and jobs. Key information is signposted, so visitors can quickly find what they need, whether prospective residents, families or the general public.
The website shows how every contribution makes a difference, whether through donations, volunteering, fundraising or events. A dedicated donation section on the homepage highlights the impact of giving, helping supporters see the real benefits for residents. Key income-generating services such as the café, training courses and room hire are easy to access from the main menu, encouraging vital support and involvement. The Donate button is also clearly positioned in the header of every page.
The new website is built on a content management system that allows staff to make changes themselves, without technical expertise. We provide training and continued support so the Acorn team can update content, post news and manage pages independently, saving time and money.
The website was delivered on budget, meeting Acorn Village’s requirements for a high-quality, long-lasting solution that clearly presents their services, supports engagement and is manageable in-house.
“The 101 team are knowledgeable, approachable and guided us with thoughtful advice. We were also pleasantly surprised by how budget-friendly the project was.”
Michelle Cook, Chief Executive at Acorn Village
