Giving a rescue sanctuary its first home online
A website and online booking for a Staffordshire birds of prey sanctuary that rescues, cares for and introduces people to owls, hawks and falcons.
The challenge
The Owl Experience is a birds of prey rescue sanctuary on a farm in Staffordshire. It is run by Andy, who served in the Army before giving his working life to the birds. The sanctuary looks after a large number of rescued birds from a wide range of European species. Some arrive sick or injured and are nursed back to health so they can return to the wild. Others were unwanted pets, or were taken in after neglect or cruelty, and now have a home there for good.
Caring for the birds is only half of it. Andy and the team want people to understand them, so visitors can meet the birds up close, walk with them and try the basics of falconry. They care a great deal about conservation, and about reaching younger people in particular, because they are the ones who will decide how well wildlife is looked after in future.
When they came to us, none of this could be seen online. There was no website, so people could not find the sanctuary, see what it offered or book a visit. Every enquiry relied on word of mouth or a phone call, at a farm where the birds come first and the phone is not always in reach. The rescue work, which costs money every single day, had no way to reach the people who might want to support it.
What they needed
- A home online: somewhere that tells the sanctuary's story honestly and shows the birds properly.
- Booking without a phone call: a simple way to choose an experience and book it at any time of day.
- Room for the rescue work: a place to report a lost or injured bird, and a way to donate towards the birds' care.
- Something they can run: a site the team can keep up to date themselves, alongside running a farm full of birds.
What we built
We kept it simple and warm, with the birds at the centre of every page. Most people arrive wanting to know two things: what they can do there, and how to book it. The site answers both quickly, then gives the rescue work the space it deserves.
Experiences people can book
Meet the Birds, Hawk and Owl Walks, Introductory to Falconry and weddings, each with its own page and a clear route to booking.
Online booking
Packages and bookings in one place, so people can plan a visit whenever suits them, while the team can still tailor an experience to a special event.
Their story
An "Our story" page explaining how the sanctuary started and why it exists, in the team's own words.
Rescue, lost and found
Clear guidance for anyone who has found an injured bird or lost one of their own, so help can arrive sooner.
Donations
A straightforward way for visitors and supporters to help with the cost of food, vet care and housing for the birds.
Local marketing
Search and social set up so that people nearby looking for a day out, a gift or a falconry experience can find the sanctuary.
What changed
The sanctuary now has a front door that is open all the time. People can find it, read why it exists, pick an experience and book it, often in the evening when the team is busy with the birds. Every booking brings in income that goes back into the birds' care, and the rescue and donation pages give the public a way to help beyond a visit.
Most of all, more people can now meet these birds up close, including the younger visitors Andy and the team most want to reach, and leave with a better understanding of why they are worth protecting.
Why this was a Nectar Cares project
The Owl Experience is exactly the kind of organisation Nectar Cares exists for: a small, dedicated team doing work that matters, where most of the money is already spoken for by the birds. They had the same senior team as any other client, at reduced rates, with payment terms that suited a sanctuary's cash flow and the extra support that comes with the programme.
Running a charity or a good cause?
Nectar Cares gives charities, CICs and social enterprises the same senior team at reduced rates, with longer payment terms and extra support.