Studland Bay

Protecting Seagrass. Inspiring Action.

Studland Bay Marine Partnership (SBMP) brings together conservation organisations, local communities, academics, businesses and recreational users with a shared goal – protecting one of the UK’s most important seagrass meadows while helping people enjoy the bay responsibly.

The partnership’s work is wide-ranging, from marine conservation and research to education, events and community engagement. But its website wasn’t telling that story particularly well.

Content had gradually become spread across multiple websites, making it harder for visitors to understand the partnership’s purpose, find practical guidance or discover ways to get involved. The site was also hosted on the website of another organisation, giving little flexibility and limiting the wider team’s ability to update content quickly.

SBMP didn’t need the complexity of a large bespoke charity website. It needed a focused, carefully planned digital home that brought everything together in one place, made day-to-day management straightforward and created a stronger foundation for future growth.

Bringing everything together

This wasn’t about creating more content. It was about making existing content easier to understand.

The website needed to speak to very different audiences. Local residents, visitors, paddleboarders, sailors, schools, researchers and partner organisations all arrived with different questions and different levels of knowledge. At the same time, the partnership wanted to encourage positive behaviour, promote eco-moorings, increase donations and make research and educational resources easier to discover.

Rather than proposing functionality the organisation didn’t need, we focused on delivering the features that would make the biggest difference to both visitors and the internal team.

Designing around what people need

Every organisation is different. That’s why we never recommend the same solution every time. For SBMP, the priority was delivering a website that focused on the features and functionality that would make the biggest difference for the partnership and the people using it.

We began by getting an understanding of what the website needed to achieve. Through kick-off sessions, UX planning and information architecture work, we helped the partnership prioritise its audiences, simplify navigation and create a structure that made sense for people discovering the organisation for the first time.

This flexible approach means organisations of all sizes can benefit from the same strategic thinking and user-centred charity website design that has underpinned every Fat Beehive project for the last 30 years.

We reorganised the site around the questions visitors were most likely to ask. Whether someone wanted to understand why seagrass matters, find guidance on eco-moorings, explore research or sign up for events, they could reach the information they needed far more easily.

We also made life much simpler for the team behind the website. Instead of the website being hosted by a different organisation, they now have their own WordPress website. That means they now have complete control over publishing news, updating resources, adding events and keeping content current whenever they need to.

The website also brings together research, events, downloadable resources, donation pathways and practical guidance into one clear, accessible experience, replacing the fragmented approach that had developed over time.

A clearer digital home

SBMP now has a website that reflects the importance of its work while remaining straightforward for both visitors and staff to use.

People can quickly understand why the bay matters, learn how they can help protect it and explore the partnership’s projects, research and events through a much clearer structure.

Key improvements include:

• a single website replacing fragmented content across multiple platforms
• clearer navigation for a wide range of audiences
• improved storytelling around marine conservation and seagrass restoration
• easier access to research, resources and events
• stronger calls to action supporting donations and community involvement
• a content management system the team can manage themselves
• accessible, mobile-friendly design
• a flexible website that’s ready to grow as the partnership develops

Most importantly, the organisation now owns and manages its own digital presence, giving the team far greater control over how they communicate with supporters, partners and visitors.

“We are very happy with our new website and would highly recommend working with Fat Beehive. From the outset, they were professional, knowledgeable and made us feel we were in very safe hands.

Their project management was exceptional, keeping the project on track and ensuring there was no mission creep, which was invaluable for our budget and timescales. They shared our passion for the cause, took the time to understand our vision, and helped us bring it to life.

Although we chose the Bee Lite template option due to budget constraints, the end result has exceeded our expectations. We now have a website that we are incredibly proud of. It is engaging, easy to navigate, and designed to inspire users to support our cause while quickly finding the information they need. We couldn’t be happier with the outcome.”

Cathy Lewis, Communications Officer, Studland Bay Marine Partnership

Built to grow

Protecting Studland Bay is an ongoing effort, and the website has been built with the same long-term outlook.

As the partnership grows, new research, projects and community initiatives can be added without having to rethink the structure of the site. The aim was to create a website that can develop naturally alongside the organisation and the important work it’s doing.

Many of our clients continue working with us after launch because a successful website isn’t something you finish and forget. By reviewing how people use the site, analysing performance and making informed improvements over time, we help ensure it continues supporting the goals of the organisations behind it.

Looking to get more from your website? We’re here to help.

www.studlandbay.org