Scleroderma & Raynaud's UK (SRUK) is the only UK charity dedicated to improving the lives of people affected by Scleroderma and Raynaud's. Previously two separate charities, the Scleroderma Society and the Raynaud’s & Scleroderma Association merged in 2016 to tackle these conditions head on. We supported SRUK in developing a comprehensive platform that houses in-depth information including symptoms, support and treatments.
SRUK needed a strong brand image to represent its bold vision and goals. The charities had battled with a lack of knowledge and understanding of their cause so it required a digital presence that would educate visitors whilst encouraging donors and promoting its ecommerce platform. We integrated a new donations platform using Blackbaud eTapestry to streamline the donations journey and enable subscription and in memory donations. This was developed on the Django CMS to provide SRUK with the flexibility to freely amend content and layout.
During our Discovery Phase we identified a need to explore the various user personas in more detail. With this knowledge we reformulated the user experience to appeal to those that need support with local support groups; and those that want to support the cause with fundraising activities.
As part of the project, we integrated a BigCommerce shop to enable the charity to sell products that help alleviate the symptoms of Scleroderma and Raynaud's such as gloves, socks and heat packs.
This enterprise-level integration offers a user experience optimised for mobile devices. This was important as the charity found many users Google symptoms on mobile devices as they are experiencing the pain that the phenomenon incurs.
Utilising the Django CMS, we have been able to continually update the platform as the charity grows. Combining this with the information we have gathered from our robust Blackbaud eTapestry and Stripe integrations, we have tweaked the user experience as we learn more about the charity’s audience and their journey throughout the site.
With little knowledge around the Raynaud’s phenomenon, we worked with the charity to develop a test that would help users to identify some of its symptoms. Often these symptoms are overlooked and disregarded.
Users click through five simple questions and, if the answer is yes to all of the questions, they are advised to visit their doctor for an official diagnosis.
Following the launch of SRUK’s new site, it saw a huge uplift in engagement with more than 511,000 unique visitors. Its enews grew by 86% and donations increased too with more than £123k. In memory donations also rose with 41K pledged in memory of loved ones affected by Scleroderma and Raynaud's.
In June 2016, it was selected as the charity of the month by Unite/CPHVA for its awareness raising activities. New features such as the shop also provided SRUK with an additional donation stream and the opportunity to host free factsheets to drive awareness of the phenomenon.
Factsheet downloads following launch.
Increase in income from 2016/17 to 2017/18.
People took the Raynaud’s test in its first year.
Sue Farrington, Chief Executive at SRUK
