Gilgal Birmingham - case study
Gilgal is a women’s refuge based in Birmingham. They support women and children experiencing domestic abuse - both with preventative outreach in the community, and at crisis point at their own multi-site refuge where they provide emergency short-term accommodation.
I joined Gilgal in January 2024 for a one-year contract. Established in 1994, they had never had the expertise of a professional designer, and were using a hand-drawn logo and a website that was not fit for purpose.
The old branding was hand drawn, with a palette that was not eye-catching lacked adequate colour contrast. It was also inconsistently applied across assets creating a lack of brand identity.
The new branding is bright, clean and calm, with a versatile colour palette and a versatile logo suite.
My rebrand pays homage to the previous branding, retaining the most recognisable elements of the Raleway font and Gilgal Green.
The original illustration tells the story of Joshua 4:19, from where the charity gets its name. 30 years on as a diverse multi-faith organisation, I swapped the very specific imagery for the more well-known visual of the dove - recognisable as a symbol of peace and new beginnings. I also included the circle emblem - echoing the original logo once more - that hints at both fresh starts and a safe space, and a rainbow of hope.
The new branding is versatile and recognisable, with a striking colour palette and clean, meaningful visuals.
When Gilgal opened their inaugural charity shop in 2024, I created them their own logo and brand guidelines that link to, but are distinct from, the main refuge branding.
A whirlwind end to 2024 led to Gilgal asking me to stay another year, and I gladly accepted.
I went on to create them a brand new website, with the help of Smithfield Agency.
The new website has greatly improved Gilgal’s search rankings for key industry terms, and more than doubled page views and engagement time. Higher quality visitors have led to an increase in referrals - both self-referrals and from external agencies - along with new accreditations and high profile corporate partners.
With consistent posts and a higher standard of content, Gilgal’s social media following has increased by 100% and engagement is at an all-time-high, particularly on LinkedIn.
With my two year stint at Gilgal coming to a close, I leave them with the foundations to move forward on their own - simple, easy-to-apply branding, an engaged audience, a responsive website and reputable agency support, and core partnerships that can help them reach new heights of funding and success.
“Quite simply, Amy is a joy to work with. She brings an exceptional blend of strategic thinking, creativity, and organisation - the perfect combination if you’re looking to grow and strengthen your marketing, whether for a business or a charity. Amy can lead on marketing strategy, create innovative and beautiful designs, and project manage effectively to deliver on time and with impact. It’s rare to find someone who excels across all these areas (and after more than 20 years in the industry, I can say that with confidence).
Amy collaborates brilliantly with stakeholders at every level, and she’s honest, approachable, and fun to work with. For Gilgal, she’s drawn on all her strengths to create a fresh, clean brand that gives us flexibility for the future and truly resonates with our audiences. Throughout the process, she’s been deeply respectful of the charity’s heritage and the sensitive nature of the service we provide.
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