REDS — Rushcliffe Early-onset Dementia Support
Building a Community Hub for People Living with Dementia
When we learned about REDS — a local charity supporting people with early-onset dementia and their families — we knew we had to help. Winner of Community Group of the Year 2025, REDS had no website and relied solely on Facebook. We built them a complete, professional community hub entirely free of charge, because some things matter more than a bottom line.
Giving Back to Our Community
"At Optimised Marketing, we believe technology should serve everyone — not just those with the budget for it. When we discovered REDS, a group of incredible people supporting families affected by early-onset dementia right here in Nottinghamshire, we didn't think twice. They'd just won Community Group of the Year, but had no website to show for it. We built them one — the same quality we'd deliver to any paying client — because supporting your local community isn't optional. It's who we are."
Zero Cost to the Charity
Every hour of development, every line of code, every design decision — delivered completely pro bono. REDS' limited funds stay focused on supporting families.
Same Quality, No Compromise
This isn't a cut-down template. It's the same full-stack, database-driven, admin-managed platform we build for commercial clients — with 14 major features and 6 database tables.
Empowering Self-Sufficiency
The admin dashboard means the REDS team can update events, news, photos, and newsletters themselves — no ongoing dependency on developers.
An Award-Winning Charity With No Online Presence
REDS (Rushcliffe Early-onset Dementia Support) is a community group based in Nottinghamshire that brings together people living with early-onset dementia and their families. They organise regular sessions including parkruns, group walks, creative workshops, and social gatherings — building a support network for people who often feel isolated by their diagnosis.
Despite winning Community Group of the Year 2025 at the Celebrating Rushcliffe Awards, REDS had no dedicated website. They relied solely on Facebook for their online presence, which meant limited reach, no professional credibility for grant applications, and no tools for managing events, volunteers, or sponsors.
They needed a platform that was sensitive to their audience — people affected by dementia and their carers — while being professional enough to attract new supporters, volunteers, and community partners.
Before: The Problem
- ✕No dedicated website — Facebook only
- ✕No professional platform for grant applications
- ✕No tools for managing events or volunteers
- ✕No way to showcase their award-winning work
- ✕No newsletter or mailing list capability
- ✕Limited reach beyond existing Facebook followers
After: The Solution
- Full-stack community hub with 14 major features
- Professional platform for sponsors and partners
- Admin dashboard for self-service content management
- Dedicated awards showcase with ceremony photos
- Newsletter system with subscriber management
- Volunteer recruitment and sponsorship tiers
Thoughtful Design for a Sensitive Audience
Every design decision was made with REDS' audience in mind — people affected by dementia and the carers who support them.
Neural Network Theme
An interactive canvas animation renders realistic neurons with dendrites and axons, creating a visual metaphor for brain connectivity and dementia awareness.
Photography-Led
Real photographs from REDS sessions, events, and the awards ceremony give the site authenticity and warmth — no stock images.
Warm & Welcoming
The colour palette uses warm creams, deep reds, and soft earth tones to create a non-clinical, community-focused atmosphere.
Accessible First
Fully responsive design with clear typography, sufficient colour contrast, keyboard navigation, and visible focus rings throughout.
A Complete Community Platform
Explore the features, technology, database design, and development timeline behind the REDS website.
Interactive Neural Network
Custom Canvas API animation with 100+ neurons featuring realistic cell bodies, dendrites, and axons that respond to mouse movement — a visual metaphor for brain connectivity and dementia awareness.
Events & Calendar
Interactive calendar displaying upcoming REDS sessions with full CRUD operations through the admin dashboard. Each event includes title, description, location, and imagery.
Photo Gallery
Responsive grid gallery with 24+ real photographs from REDS sessions — parkruns, group walks, indoor activities, social gatherings, and creative workshops. Admin upload direct to S3.
News & Blog
Full blog system with original REDS content including Rob and Lynsay's personal story, coverage of the award win, and Dementia Action Week features. Social sharing built in.
Newsletter System
Complete mailing list with subscription forms, database-backed subscriber management, admin dashboard with search/filter/export, and owner notifications.
Contact & Submissions
Contact form with database storage, read/unread status tracking, and automatic owner notifications when new messages arrive.
Volunteer Recruitment
Four volunteer roles (Session Helper, Activity Coordinator, Fundraising Champion, Social Media Ambassador) with descriptions and sign-up forms.
Sponsorship & Partnerships
Three sponsorship tiers (Friend £250, Supporter £500, Champion £1,000+) with benefits breakdown, plus community partner and local business partnership sections.
Facebook Integration
Custom-built Facebook feed section displaying recent REDS posts with photos, dates, and engagement metrics. Social links throughout the site.
Awards Showcase
Dedicated section showcasing the Community Group of the Year 2025 award with four ceremony photographs from the Celebrating Rushcliffe Awards.
Resources Section
Curated links to key dementia support organisations including the Alzheimer's Society, NHS dementia services, and Join Dementia Research.
Admin Dashboard
Full-featured admin panel for managing events, gallery, news, contact submissions, and newsletter subscribers — all without technical knowledge.
The Finished Website
Screenshots from the completed REDS community hub — every section built with care and purpose.
Hero section with interactive neural network animation and 'You Are Not Alone' message
Canvas API neural network with realistic neuron rendering
About section with mission statement and key community statistics
React 19 + Tailwind CSS 4 responsive layout
Community Group of the Year 2025 — Celebrating Rushcliffe Awards
Responsive image grid with ceremony photographs
Founding story with embedded video and personal testimonials
Video embed + scroll-triggered animations
Interactive event calendar with upcoming REDS sessions
tRPC + Drizzle ORM event management with calendar UI
24+ real session photos from parkruns, walks, and community gatherings
S3 storage with admin upload and responsive grid
News section with original content about REDS' journey and achievements
Full blog system with search, modal reader, and social sharing
Get Involved page with volunteer, sponsor, and partnership opportunities
Multi-section engagement page with contact forms
Complete engagement page with sponsorship tiers and community partners
Responsive card layouts with tiered pricing display
Contact form with database-backed submission tracking
tRPC mutation with owner notification system
Technology Should Serve Everyone
We believe that charities and community groups deserve the same quality of technology as commercial businesses. The REDS project demonstrates what's possible when human strategy meets AI-powered development — a full-stack community platform built to the highest standard, delivered at zero cost, giving a vital local charity the online presence they deserve.
If you're a charity or community group in Nottinghamshire doing important work, we'd love to hear from you. We can't promise to build every project for free, but we're always looking for ways to support our local community through technology.
Inspired by What We Built for REDS?
Whether you're a charity looking for support or a business wanting a full-stack website — we combine AI-powered development with human strategy to deliver results that matter.