National disability sport organisation CP Sport launch its new website and branding today as part of its digital strategy.
It is CP Sports vision that everyone with cerebral palsy is able to access and enjoy being physically active throughout their lives. Approximately 160,000 people have cp in the UK and despite the benefits of physical activity being well documented, barriers still exist for people with cp to be active and enjoy sport. Having an accessible and mobile responsive website was a priority to the charity as it is often the first port of call for people with cp and their families when searching for opportunities, information, and support online.
The pandemic and its impact, particularly on people with a disability (1) highlighted the importance of having up to date and easy to use online platforms. CP Sport responded by putting in place new online opportunities and events such as an equipment rental service, new membership portal and a Club Finder tool so that people can find opportunities close to them with a simple postcode search. Virtual events became crucial in keeping the cp community connected in 2020 and CP Sport held 23 events virtually over the year with the support of ambassadors and volunteers. These included online cafes, an awards ceremony, and fundraising events. Virtual events have continued into 2021 including the Spring into Action programme in partnership with Adult CP Hub which was a motivating and supportive 12 weeks programme which took participants on a journey to reach their own activity goals and sporting potential with the support of mentors and experts.
Having a website and new branding was the next step in the digital strategy and with such a range of potential users to consider as well as partners, it was essential for CP Sport to work with a website development partner who could really understand its visitors’ requirements particularly around accessibility.
Embrace Marketing won a competitive tender and pitch to build a new, mobile-responsive website. Engaging, vibrant in its appearance, it includes accessible features such as screen reader compatible, users can change font sizes, colours, and invert colours. A user-friendly interface makes it easier to navigate, as well as being mobile friendly – a vital change, since more and more people access the internet on their smartphones and tablets.
It was very important for CP Sport that its members could identify with the new branding and enjoy it as much as the activities they take part in. The online lockdown cafes were an ideal opportunity for members to involved in the process from the early stage. CP Sport chose graphic designer Amy Goodall at Mad About The Brand to develop its new logo and brand identity.
Amy said, “It was an honour to be appointed to design the new visual identity for CP Sport – for me, a project such as this with such an incredibly important mission in this world makes the work even more enjoyable and meaningful. I found reading about what CP Sport do and the incredible athletes that they support as part of the ‘getting to know the organisation’ process extremely inspiring.”
CP Sport’s decision to keep its same title was to provide familiarity and consistency. Referred to as ‘CP Sport’ by its members and regular audience, the logo still includes the full wording ‘cerebral palsy sport’ to provide clarity to new supporters and participants.
The visual identity is modern and vibrant, incorporating colour palettes that were developed with consideration of accessibility for digital and traditional print use in mind and include green which represents cerebral palsy awareness worldwide, a vibrant pink to reflect the confidence, good health and energy CP Sport promote as well as a range of colours across the different areas of work of the charity.
Careful consideration was taken when designing the logo, shapes, and icons. Within the logo an ‘O’ is elevated to create movement within the word like a ball being thrown or kicked. This concept created a smiling face as well which sums up sport and enjoyment. The new brand assets and visual identity have been carried through onto the website.
Sandy Drummond Head of Marketing and Communication at CP Sport said, “We are extremely pleased to be launching our new website and branding this summer as people return to sport and are enjoying so many high-profile sporting events on TV. Creating a user-friendly website was crucial for us in connecting with our members and community. We hope that we will have lots of returning visitors as well as reaching more people with cp that might not be engaged in physical activity yet.
Embrace Marketing has done a brilliant job in designing the website for us with this audience first approach, making the site easier to navigate, discover information and find new opportunities. The colourful attractive branding and new modern logo designed by Amy is very exciting. Not only will it make a big impact on our digital platforms, we have created a new membership pack and merchandise which will be posted to our members, and have new banners and materials ready for our in person events which start back this September with our National Athletics Championships.”
Becky Reardon, Managing Director, Embrace Marketing said, “We were delighted to have been chosen to develop the new CP Sport website. From our research for the pitch, we gained a real affinity for the fantastic work that the charity does.”
John Harrison, CP Sport Trustee concludes, “CP Sport is seeking to reach and support as many people with CP as possible to experience the benefits of sport and physical activity. We also want to increase our support for activity providers to help them to offer accessible and inclusive opportunities. This new website provides a modern, vibrant, and accessible platform for CP Sport to re-introduce itself. To shout about who we are, about what we do, and about the people and communities that we support. Creating an easy access point for participants, providers and friends to learn, engage and help bring our strategy to life.”
CP Sport is the national disability sports organisation supporting people with cerebral palsy to be able to access and enjoy being physically active throughout their lives.
Visit the website www.cpsport.org