UTASS Strengthens Community Connections with Revitalised Online Presence

A Modern Website to Better Serve the Durham Dales Community

Project Highlights (TL:DR)

  • Enhanced Accessibility: Vital information, such as post office hours and training schedules, is now easily accessible to the community.
  • Improved Community Engagement: The events calendar and business directory have fostered greater interaction and support within the local area.
  • Increased Fundraising Opportunities: The online shop has opened new channels for fundraising, supporting UTASS’s initiatives.

UTASS (Upper Teesdale Agricultural Support Services) is a charity based in Middleton-in-Teesdale, County Durham, dedicated to supporting communities across the Durham Dales. They offer a wide range of services, including farm support, training, community transport, and emotional support, aiming to help residents access essential services and resources.

The Challenge

UTASS approached us to develop a new website that would better reflect their services and improve accessibility for the community. Their existing site was outdated, not mobile-friendly, and challenging to update, which hindered effective communication with their audience.

The Solution

We collaborated closely with the UTASS team to understand their needs and priorities. The new website was designed to be fast, responsive, and user-friendly, ensuring that vital information is readily available. Key features include:

  • Post Office Information: Given the closure of local village post offices, UTASS hosts a satellite branch twice a week. We ensured that the opening times are prominently displayed for easy access.
  • Events Calendar: A custom events calendar was implemented to showcase both recurring and special events, allowing the community to stay informed about upcoming activities.
  • Online Shop: To aid in fundraising efforts, we added a small online shop where visitors can purchase items like calendars and Christmas cards.
  • Training Information: Clear sections were created to provide details on available training programs, helping users easily find and enroll in courses.
  • Business Directory: A directory was developed to allow local businesses to list their services for a nominal fee, promoting local enterprises and generating additional support for UTASS.

The Results

The revamped website has significantly enhanced UTASS’s online presence. Information is now easily accessible, leading to increased engagement from the community. The online shop has provided a new avenue for fundraising, and the business directory has fostered greater local collaboration.

Visit Website

Grace Crawford UTASS

We had a great experience working together with Mitchell Digital as we developed a new website for UTASS. Due to Kane’s experience and knowledge, he was able to suggest the best approach for the web design and functionality to ensure that we got the most out of the site for our organisation and for our community. Our queries were dealt with quickly and efficiently and we felt in safe hands as we worked through the various steps to bring the new site to fruition. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Mitchell Digital to others. Thank you!