A new outstanding web design standard for Home-Start

Pauline Walter of Home-Start Oxford contacted iT4Communities in the summer of 2007 to find a volunteer to help create a brand new website. Home-Start Oxford provides support and practical help to families in need in Oxford and they were looking for a new website to enable them to collect donations online, advertise their services and promote volunteering in the local area.

The Project

Volunteer, David Ramos, read details of the opportunity on the iT4Communities website and, after an initial discussion with Pauline, started work on the project. David, who is 23 and originally from Spain, carried out a lot of preparatory work and gave plenty of thought to how Pauline and the Home-Start Oxford team would like the website to be. He researched other Home-Start websites, including the national Home-Start UK site, and agreed with Pauline about how the design and structure was going to look.

David spent many hours designing their new website and by consulting with Pauline throughout was able to create an excellent site. Pauline praised the site saying that she "considers it to be outstandingly attractive and contributing a new standard for web design for Home-Start!"

The Volunteer's View

As the volunteer, David also valued his experience. He says, "I found the Home Start Oxford website very rewarding as it acted beneficially on both charity and me. They were extremely helpful when I needed something and therefore tackling the project was a comfortable job."

The Charity's View

Pauline is now very pleased with the help she found through iT4Communities and thanks to David Home-Start Oxford have a site they are very proud of. Pauline has high hopes for the future and said: "Our new site is also a marketing tool which we feel will enhance the professional ethos and reputation of our charity and which we hope will help us in our future fundraising endeavours."

Pauline summed up the experience saying: "I would certainly recommend iT4Communities and David to anyone undertaking similar work."

The website is at www.homestart-oxford.org.uk

16th June 2008