SOFFA Marmalade
A complete redesign for SOFFA Marmalade, a West Midlands volunteer support group for family, friends, and allies of anyone struggling with their gender identity. Replaced a dated site with a clean, welcoming, fully optimised build.
Redesign
Project Type
West Mids
Region Served
A+
SEO & Schema
WCAG
Accessibility Compliant
Overview
The Problem
SOFFA Marmalade (Significant Others, Family, Friends and Allies) is a volunteer-run support group based in the West Midlands for families and friends of transgender people. Their previous website was visually outdated, poorly structured, and did not present the group in a way that felt welcoming or professional.
For a group that relies on people finding them at a difficult time, the website needed to feel safe, approachable, and easy to navigate. It also needed the technical foundations to rank in local search results and work properly on any device.
The Solution
I redesigned and rebuilt the site from scratch using Laravel with Tailwind CSS and Flowbite components. The design is light, clean, and welcoming, with the group's navy and red branding carried through consistently. Content is clearly organised across mission, history, FAQs, blog, calendar, links, and contact pages.
Every page was built with the same care I give any client: proper SEO, structured data, accessibility, and performance. A small site does not mean a low-quality build.
Features
What I Built
Technical SEO
Unique title tags and meta descriptions on every page. Clean URL structure, semantic heading hierarchy, and proper internal linking. Built to rank in local search for West Midlands support services.
Schema.org Structured Data
JSON-LD markup with Organization schema, contact information, and service area. Open Graph and Twitter Card tags on every page for professional social sharing previews.
ARIA & Accessibility
Semantic HTML5 landmarks, ARIA labels and roles, full keyboard navigation, and WCAG 2.1 AA colour contrast. Accordion FAQs and interactive elements are all screen reader friendly.
Google Calendar Integration
Embedded Google Calendar showing upcoming meeting dates and events. Visitors can see when the next support group meets without leaving the site.
Contact Form
A validated contact form with server-side validation and reassuring copy. Designed to feel safe for someone making a first contact that might feel daunting.
Performance
Minified assets via Vite, optimised images, font display swap, and responsive design. Fast Core Web Vitals on mobile and desktop. A lightweight site that loads instantly.
Screenshots
The Website in Action
The Mission page. Clear statement of purpose with numbered aims and objectives.
The Contact page. Reassuring copy and a validated form designed to make that first step feel less daunting.
Tech Stack
How It Was Built
Backend
Frontend & Infrastructure
Outcomes
What Was Delivered
A Welcoming First Impression
A complete visual overhaul. The previous site felt dated and uninviting. The new site is clean, warm, and communicates that this is a safe, welcoming space.
Local SEO Ready
Every page built with proper meta tags, structured data, and semantic headings. Optimised to rank for West Midlands support services in local search results.
Fully Accessible
WCAG 2.1 AA compliant with ARIA landmarks, keyboard navigation, and screen reader support. A support group cannot afford to exclude anyone from finding them.
Fast & Mobile-First
Optimised assets and responsive design. Strong Core Web Vitals scores. Works beautifully on a phone, which is where most visitors will find it.
Want something like this built for you?
I build bespoke web applications from scratch. Let's talk about your project.