How The Castle Streamlined its Website with Rocketspark

The Castle is a well-established, community-focused, not-for-profit early learning centre in Cambridge. It has been a pillar of the community for nearly 50 years, providing high-quality care and education to local children. Like many not-for-profits, The Castle faced challenges with a tight budget while needing a functional, easy-to-manage website. The centre needed a solution that allowed them to update their website efficiently without ongoing maintenance fees, allowing them more time to focus on the children.

The challenge

‍Before switching to Rocketspark, The Castle used a website provider that created ongoing difficulties. Laura, the Centre Manager, explains: “With our old provider, we were charged every time we wanted to make a change, and it just wasn’t sustainable. Basic updates took hours or had to go through someone else.”

In addition to the cost, the platform was difficult to navigate. Tasks like resizing images or making content updates were time-consuming and inefficient.

The solution: Switching to Rocketspark‍

Recognising these challenges, The Castle approached Hayden, a parent of two boys attending the centre who works for Rocketspark. Hayden helped transfer their website to the Rocketspark platform, which is user-friendly and easy to manage.

The transition was seamless, with Rocketspark’s team handling everything behind the scenes. There was no website downtime, and once the new platform was live, Laura and her team could manage updates themselves using the intuitive interface; no prior website editing experience required.

Ease of use

‍One of the biggest changes for The Castle was how easy managing their website became. Tasks that used to take hours, like updating newsletters or staff photos, now take just minutes.

“Making changes is now a breeze,” says Laura. “With the old system, resizing images and getting everything to fit took hours. Now, with Rocketspark, I can make updates in 20 minutes max.”

Cost and time savings

‍The Castle has seen significant savings in both time and money. Domain registration costs with Rocketspark are lower than before, and they no longer have to pay for basic updates – vital for a not-for-profit centre where every dollar counts.

“Not having to pay for updates is a huge relief,” Laura shares. “Every dollar we save goes back into the centre, and that’s made a big difference.”

Improved communication with families

‍Another major improvement has been how The Castle now receives inquiries directly through their website. Previously, families had to call or visit in person, but now they can easily fill out an online form, which has made the process more convenient for busy parents.

“We’ve definitely noticed more inquiries coming through the website,” Laura says. “Parents seem to prefer using the online form instead of calling, and it’s great to have everything in one place.”

Ongoing support

‍Laura and her team have also appreciated the ongoing technical support from Rocketspark.

“The support has been incredible,” Laura remarks. “Alex and the team have checked in multiple times to ensure everything is going smoothly. It’s clear that Rocketspark really cares about helping us succeed.”

Looking ahead

‍With their website running smoothly, The Castle team is excited about future possibilities, and they’re considering adding new features to the site. “We’ve been brainstorming ideas like a virtual tour or a ‘day in the life of a child’ video,” Laura explains.

Switching to Rocketspark has transformed The Castle’s website management. The centre now enjoys an affordable, easy-to-manage site, supported by a team that genuinely cares about their success. By choosing Rocketspark, The Castle has saved time and money, allowing them to focus on what matters most: providing quality care for the children in their community.

To find out more about how Rocketspark can support your centre to improve website capability, please click here.

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