When a local community group was in need of a new website up in Northland, local Rocketspark Design Partner Natalie White, Creative Director of Magic Fingers Graphics, knew they would be worthy recipients of Rocketspark’s gift-it-forward initiative.
In April this year Rocketspark gifted each of its Design Partners, Magic Fingers Graphics included, a lifetime Rocketspark website subscription to give away for free to a deserving not-for-profit organisation. Learn more about the Rocketspark Gift-it-forward initiative here.
The lucky not-for-profit Nat chose to give her free website to was 155 Whare Āwhina. The amazing folk at 155 Whare Āwhina are community advocates, lawyers and social workers who are there to help locals. They provide free legal advice through three 155 Community Law centres, can help with whānau support, WINZ, housing, and are there to support anyone who is homeless with shelter at their 155 Open Arms day centre.
On top of that, they also run a food bank which provides free food parcels twice a week, and the friendly team at 155 Open Arms serves free meals twice a day, six days a week.
Nat said they were looking for a complete rebuild of the website after a rather rocky start, which meant that funds were already drastically low and stretched.
“When I was approached by their Communications Consultant to take on the project and start over, I actually wasn't sure how I could pull this off without paying for it myself.
“Every business or organisation deserves to perform and look incredible online, and the stories need to be shared. I knew I could pull them back up to the surface, so I was grateful for the timing of the Gift-it-Forward initiative announcement not long after this project landed in my inbox.
“As one of the bigger not-for-profit projects I have worked on to date, this one was a no-brainer to choose. 155 Whare Āwhina exists to support the lives of whānau in need in Northland, which is quite a large geographic area with people far and wide. The impact of 155 Whare Āwhina is far-reaching and can have a significant positive impact on people. I figured, if I can help one local not-for-profit, they can help many other people in the community,” Nat said.
On top of the already free for life website the community group was given, Nat also offered a discount on her own work.
“Even though they were given a free lifetime website subscription, all the not-for-profit work I do is heavily discounted and they benefited from this too,” she said.
Pippa Curd, 155 Whare Āwhina Communications Consultant, said they needed a website that not only reflected their kaupapa, but communicated their varied and interwoven services with clarity.
“The content structure and design have come together in complete harmony to create a welcoming site that seamlessly guides our visiting whānau to the information they seek.”
Pippa said she really enjoyed working with Nat.
“[Nat is] amazing! She understood my vision for the site from the get go, taking my content and using her design skills to create a beautiful, functional site that entirely reflects 155’s values.”
Are you a partner who wants to find someone to gift-it-forward to? Find more info here.
Are you a not-for-profit in need of a new website? Find more info here.
