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Celebrating 5,000 members: Devon Connect brings communities closer.

August 2025

Devon Connect, the free county-wide digital platform designed to strengthen community connections, is celebrating a major milestone - welcoming its 5,000th member.

Created through the combined efforts of Devon Voluntary Action partners, Devon Connect has become a vital hub for local people to discover and share events, activities, volunteering opportunities and charity jobs across the county.

By connecting residents, organisations and practitioners, the platform helps reduce isolation, encourages participation and makes community support more accessible.

In 2024 alone, Devon Connect delivered an estimated £626,937 in social value - demonstrating the power of “tech for good.”

The platform also hosted 2,445 activities, welcomed 1,145 new members, and recorded 245,000 page views. Since its launch, nearly 40,000 volunteer hours have been given through the platform.

Passing 5,000 members is a huge achievement and shows the appetite across Devon for people to get connected, share their time and strengthen community life. We’re proud of what’s been achieved so far, and excited to keep growing together.”

Marie Gould, Devon Connect lead

To discover opportunities or promote your local group, club and activities visit devonconnect.org

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Living Well Warrington shortlisted for HSJ Award

August 2025

We’re proud to share that our clients, Living Well Warrington, have been nominated for the HSJ Integrated Care Initiative of the Year award (our second shortlist in one month!).

Living Well unites health, care and community partners to improve outcomes, tackle inequalities and deliver lasting system-wide change. Aligned with the NHS Long Term Plan, our platforms are delivering solutions that matter now more than ever.

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Talent Timebanking shortlisted for Innovation award

July 2025

We're thrilled that NHS Talent Timebanking has been shortlisted for the Capsticks Award for Innovation at the HPMA Excellence in People Awards 2025!

We’re proud to be the software partner for this project, which helps NHS staff connect, share skills and learn from each other, via a culture of reciprocity and continuous learning

Read more
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An interview with Stephen Bennett - Living Well Warrington

July 2025

Living Well Warrington is a partnership-led approach to shift from hospital-focused care to proactive, community-based support - a key goal of the NHS Long Term Plan.

In this interview, Stephen Bennett shares how Warrington is tackling rising demand and poor end-of-life health by focusing on prevention, healthy living and addressing root causes, supported by a digital platform and community hub that connect residents to local services and support. 

Can Do Bristol expands offer to support drug and alcohol recovery

June 2025

Can Do Bristol, the city’s trusted platform for volunteering and community engagement, is launching a vital new community initiative. Set to go live in July, ‘Can Do Recovery’ will be a safe space for people in recovery from drug and alcohol use to find reliable, stigma-free support.

Read more
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Introducing our Community Partnership guides

May 2025

At Made Open, we’re always exploring how to make community platforms more resilient, impactful and sustainable. One thing we know for sure: partnerships are key.

That’s why we’ve developed a set of practical guides to help our customers build, nurture and grow meaningful partnerships

Read guides
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Connecting Carmarthenshire wins Social Care Accolade

May 2025

Connecting Carmarthenshire has been awarded the Social Care Accolade for Working in Partnership.

This recognition is a testament to the shared commitment and dedication of everyone involved in delivering the Connecting Carmarthenshire service.

Read more 

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A message from our new CEO

1st April 2025

Today marks an exciting new chapter in Made Open's journey.

After more than 20 years of exceptional leadership as our CEO, Robert is stepping down and moving to a new strategic role at Made Open. 

As I (Phil Merrifield) step into the role of CEO, I'd like to share what this means for Made Open and our future vision.

Read more
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Living Well Warrington goes live

March 2025

In 2023, Warrington’s community partners set out to find a technology provider to help create a platform that would complement the physical Living Well Hub in the centre of town.

After a thorough selection process, they chose Made Open to develop Living Well Warrington, which launched to the public on the 26th March 2025. 

Visit website  Read case study 

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Community-Led Impact projects launch

March 2025

We've re-launched the CLIP (Community-Led Impact Projects) process in partnership with the Future Towns Innovation Hub at Southampton University.

Combined with our software, this process helps people and teams share ideas and problems, using design thinking to bring community projects to life and see them through.

Note: Originally created by our clients Owen Tilbury and Peter Murden in Tasmania, we're updating the CLIP process with their permission.

View the CLIP guide
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Why Interlink RCT’s profile is a shining example of best practice?

February 2025

We love sharing examples of best practice on our community platforms.

This month we want to shine a spotlight on Interlink RCT (the anchor organisation behind Connect RCT) who have created an engaging profile page that truly connects with their community.

Check it out here: Interlink RCT

In just one page, you get a real sense of who they are, what they do and what they stand for.

It’s packed with information, insights, a showcase video, badges and tags (which connect them to other members with shared interests), plus a full staff list and all their activities.

For charities - especially smaller ones without the budget for a high-end website - this kind of profile offers a clear, engaging way to showcase their work and connect with the community.

So if you're a charity or community organisation, this is one of many good reasons why our software is worth exploring.

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Celebrating a remarkable 2024 for Devon Connect

Jan 2025

At Made Open, we’re always inspired by the impact our customer achieve with our community software.

Devon Connect, one of our standout platforms, had a fantastic 2023, but 2024 has been even better.

  • 2,445 activities were added to the platform (up from 1,494 in 2023).
  • 1,145 new members joined (compared to 917 in 2023).
  • The platform attracted 50,083 unique users, a significant rise from 31,169 in 2023.
  • There were 240,267 page views, compared to 170,592 the previous year.
  • Devon Connect created an estimated £626,937 in social value (£381,894 in 2023).
  • For every £1 spent on the platform, an impressive £29.85 in social value was generated.
  • Activities, member sign-ups, engagement and total users all saw substantial growth.

These achievements show the dedication of Devon Connect’s partners to building thriving communities and collaboration.

The increase in social value is especially worth celebrating, highlighting how platforms like Devon Connect are not just about connection but also creating measurable impact.

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Introducing our 'new Asks & Offers' platform feature

January 2025

We are delighted to announce the launch of our new 'Asks & Offers'  feature for organisations.

Already being used by Can Do Bristol, this new feature empowers community groups and organisations to respond to local needs and crisis situations with greater efficiency, allowing them to request specific help with equipment, materials or available assets.

It also provides businesses with a platform to offer their goods and services, showcasing their valuable contributions to social good.

Asks and offers
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Made Open software highly rated in independent review

January 2025

An independent review of Connect Torfaen concludes Made Open is best community software on the market.

Basis conducted the review and found the main issues for a recent drop in engagement was less about tech and more about implementing better processess among partners.

Read Basis case study 

Seeing the success of Connect Torfaen is incredibly rewarding. Made Open have been highly adaptable and supportive, responding to the changes requested and continuously enhancing the platform to meet community needs. We’re excited to continue building on this success and making Torfaen a stronger, more connected place for everyone.

Aimi Morris, CEO, Torfaen Voluntary Alliance

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Job vacancies feature goes live

December 2024

We’re pleased to announce the launch of our community job vacancies feature which is now live on Devon Connect and Wiltshire Together community platforms.

This feature bridges the gap between local talent and opportunities, empowering organisations to share vacancies and find the perfect candidates to drive their mission forward.

At the same time, it supports job seekers in discovering fulfilling roles that make a positive impact on their community while achieving personal growth.

Watch video 

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