Chipping in with new ecommerce store

25 April 2022

Ashfield Community Enterprise is a social enterprise run by volunteers who pass on their skills in woodworking to the next generation.

It operates a small recycling centre, which upcycles old items for furniture and takes old wood and pallets and furniture to make new garden benches, planters and bird tables, bird boxes and hedgehog boxes.

It also runs regular events and workshops, giving residents the opportunity to learn new skills, participate in community activities and discover more about traditional woodworking techniques.   

It is part of Ashfield Voluntary Action (AVA), a registered charity supporting community groups in the district.

The charity has been operating in the area for over fifteen years, initially under the name Ashfield Links Forum. AVA is involved in a wide range of activities that support the improvement and engagement of health initiatives in the district of Ashfield. It works closely with the Mansfield and Ashfield Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), local councils, voluntary and community groups with an aim to improve the health and wellbeing of the residents of Ashfield.

Some of the initiatives and services it supports include volunteering projects, patient support and engagement, a community enterprise scheme and an emergency food bank. It also runs sessions at its headquarters, giving residents access to computers and the internet to boost their skills, knowledge, and confidence.

A bespoke sales platform

We were tasked with developing a new ecommerce website for Ashfield Community Enterprise, to give it a platform to sell the furniture and other wooden products it produces to help raise vital funds to support the organisation.

We had previously designed and developed AVA’s main corporate website. The new ecommerce store was a continuation of that work, ensuring that the branding and messaging was consistent and reflected the organisation, and its aims, in the right way.

The new website features a simple, intuitive, and easy-to-use content management system, making it easy for AVA admins to add new information and products.

Meanwhile, the backend system is fully automated, so takes care of all orders, sales, payments, and fulfilment to keep customers happy without overburdening Ashfield Community Enterprise’s volunteers.

‘Impressed with the results’

Teresa Jackson, Ashfield Voluntary Action Manager, said:

“This is the second website Quiet Storm has produced for us, and we’re really impressed by the results.

“As a charitable organisation, we don’t have much in-house expertise when it comes to IT and websites, so having a team like Quiet Storm to support us and deliver what we need is crucial to supporting the projects we deliver.

“We are absolutely delighted not only with the website but with the ongoing service that Quiet Storm provides. Their team is very helpful, nothing is too much trouble, and they are always on the end of a phone if we need anything.”

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