Background
Obesity UK, originally known as HOOP UK, was established in 2010 by Lesley McCormack, initially as a social media community aimed at supporting parents of children living with obesity who were underserved by local healthcare providers. Driven by volunteers with direct personal experience, the platform rapidly grew, attracting thousands of members seeking guidance and understanding.
By 2013, the organization evolved into a registered charity, boasting a membership exceeding 5,000 individuals. It expanded its volunteer administrator base to more than ten committed members and established a formal board of trustees. Today, Obesity UK actively trains and develops its volunteer network, continuing its mission to provide robust support for those living with obesity.
The Problem
Obesity UK’s original website, built using a basic online website builder, significantly limited their growth. It lacked essential functionalities such as document uploads, robust content management, and blogging capabilities, severely restricting the charity’s ability to effectively manage and disseminate information. Additionally, the organisation’s heavy reliance on Facebook presented concerns regarding data ownership and control. Obesity UK sought to establish an online community forum that allowed them to retain direct control over their membership data.
The Solution
More Time To transformed the charity’s online presence by migrating their site to a WordPress-based platform utilising the Divi framework. This solution empowered Obesity UK with user-friendly content management, enabling easy updating and expansion of resources. The integration of a membership system provided restricted content access, while the introduction of an online forum facilitated community interaction directly on the organisation’s own site, enhancing data privacy and member engagement.
Outcomes
Since launching the redesigned website, Obesity UK has observed a consistent and promising stream of new member registrations. The intuitive WordPress backend simplified content management, allowing Obesity UK’s volunteer administrators to quickly and efficiently publish new resources. As a result, content volume and engagement continue to rise, demonstrating the initial success of the site’s relaunch.
Next Steps
Building on the successful relaunch, Obesity UK plans to maintain the current growth trajectory. Future considerations include exploring opportunities to develop and integrate online training modules to further enhance volunteer and community member support.
Chris understands about obesity and has worked with other Healthcare Membership Organisations. He understands the language and imagery we use, communicating things like this to someone who doesn’t is an uphill struggle.
“Chris’ Healthcare Membership Organisation experience means he understands the space and the dynamics, and how to deal with it – it is a valuable piece of experience.”
AOCC
