Keeping Families, Friends & Supporters Connected

Based in Mistley, Essex, Acorn Village is a care community and registered charity supporting adults with learning disabilities. Founded in 1972, they offer residential care, supported living, creative therapies, training and a vibrant environment where every individual is valued, empowered and celebrated. Acorn Village approached Smart Messenger for email marketing services following a recommendation from an existing client, the Essex Care Association (ECA).

The Brief

Acorn needed a user-friendly and professional way to share news and information with residents’ friends, family and the charity’s supporters. They wanted a solution that would be easy for their staff to manage consistently, helping them maintain strong engagement with their community.

Our Solution

With Smart Messenger, Acorn Village now has a consistent, efficient email marketing system that makes it easy to communicate regularly with their contacts. This keeps everyone informed about events, activities, how to get involved and the impact of Acorn’s work. As a charity and ECA member, they are entitled to special discounts, benefiting from an even more affordable solution.

Helpful Smart Messenger features for Acorn include:

• Full support from friendly experts: Acorn received initial training in how to use Smart Messenger and have ongoing access to unlimited phone support from our UK-based team at no additional cost.
• Professional, branded emails: We created a bespoke email template that reflects Acorn’s brand and ensures a consistent look across all their emails.
• New subscriber sign-ups made easy: We designed a newsletter sign-up form for Acorn’s website which makes it easy for people to subscribe to updates and stay informed.
• Data protection peace of mind: All contact information is stored and handled securely in the UK, with sign-ups and unsubscribes automatically managed in line with regulations, so Acorn can communicate confidently and compliantly.
• User-friendly reporting tools: Clear analytics provide insights on delivery rates, opens, clicks and optimal send times, helping Acorn tailor content and campaign timing to engage effectively.

How Acorn uses Smart Messenger

Acorn Village sends a monthly update to residents’ family and friends to keep them informed about life, activities and events at the Village. They also send regular emails to supporters, sharing news, events, fundraising activities and information about the difference that their involvement makes. These warm, friendly updates help maintain strong connections, a sense of community and play an important role in encouraging ongoing support for the charity.

Client Testimonial

“Smart Messenger has made it much easier to keep families, friends and supporters involved in what we do. Creating smart, consistent emails is now quick and simple, helping us to share updates more effectively, encouraging engagement and continued support. It’s also an advantage to know we can speak to a team that understands our charity if we ever need help with our campaigns.”

Michelle Cook, Chief Executive at Acorn Village

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