The Brief
My connection with Beams began when I put out an open offer to build a website for free for a charity. I received a huge amount of interest, but Beams immediately stood out. After learning more about the incredible work they do supporting disabled children and their families, I felt compelled to help and chose to rebuild their website.
The experience had such an impact on me that, once the new site was launched, I went on to become a trustee for several years. Although I eventually stepped down when I moved abroad, my connection with Beams has remained strong.
Recently, Caroline reached out because the charity had grown significantly, and their existing website could no longer keep up. They needed new features, improved navigation, and a clearer structure that made it easier for families, carers, donors, and professionals to find essential information quickly. The goal was to create a modern, accessible platform that served a diverse community with very different needs.
Design Process
After reviewing the structure and functionality of the existing site, it quickly became clear that a full rebuild would be the most efficient and effective approach. The charity had expanded its services, events, fundraising activities, and resources, and the previous website had become cluttered and difficult to navigate.
We started by mapping out the core user groups—families seeking support, professionals looking for resources, and supporters wanting to donate or get involved. From there, I created a new site architecture that prioritised clarity, accessibility, and ease of use.
The design was kept clean, friendly, and supportive, reflecting Beams’ values and the sensitive nature of their work. Key information was reorganised into logical sections, and strong calls to action were introduced throughout the site to guide users to the most important pages. The build also included new features tailored to their growth, making the website more efficient for the team to manage as the charity continued to expand.
SEO
Given the wide audience Beams reaches, SEO played a key role in the rebuild. Each major service area was given its own optimised page with clear, informative content to help families and professionals find the charity through search engines.
Keywords relating to support for disabled children, family advice services, short breaks, and local authority partnerships were incorporated naturally throughout the website. The structure was improved to support clearer indexing by Google, and technical SEO enhancements—such as improved page speed, metadata optimisation, a more accessible layout, and streamlined internal linking—were implemented across the site.
This approach allowed the charity to appear more prominently in search results for the services they provide, helping more families access the support they need.
Results
The new website has been a huge success for Beams. It is now far easier for users to find the right information quickly, and the charity’s growing list of services is presented in a much clearer, more structured way.
The improved user experience and updated site features have enabled the Beams team to manage content more efficiently while continuing to expand their support offerings. Increased visibility in search engines has helped raise awareness of their work, bringing in more enquiries, more community engagement, and more support.
Being part of this project—and part of the organisation as a trustee—was an incredibly meaningful experience. I’m delighted that the new website is performing so well and proud to have played a part in helping such a remarkable charity continue its mission.