Designer. Developer. Charity insider.

Most agencies design websites for charities. I've actually worked inside one.

Portrait photo of James Beston

I spent several years at Calibre Audio as their events officer, marketing team member, and eventually web developer. I've sat in the funding meetings. I've worked with volunteers. I've explained to trustees why the website needs updating when the money could go to frontline services.

That experience changed how I work. I understand that your budget isn't just tight — it's accountable. Every pound you spend with me is a pound you're not spending on the people you exist to help. That's a responsibility I take seriously.

Before Calibre, I spent fifteen years in brand and print design — the kind where getting the kerning wrong meant an expensive reprint, not a quick CSS fix. I moved into web design through WordPress, then kept going: learning to code properly, building full-stack applications, eventually creating a complete library management system for Calibre from scratch.

It's an unusual path. Most designers don't code. Most developers don't have fifteen years of typography and layout behind them. That combination means I can take a project from first concepts through to a working, accessible website without anything getting lost in translation.


What I'm like to work with

I'm not interested in one-off transactions. I work best with organisations who want an ongoing relationship — someone who gets to know your work properly and sticks around to help it evolve.

That means fewer clients, but better relationships. I'm not juggling dozens of projects and forgetting who you are between emails. When you get in touch, you get me — not an account manager who needs to "check with the team."

I'm based in Norfolk, which has a brilliant charity and arts sector I'm proud to be part of. I work with organisations across the UK, but there's something satisfying about helping the good work happening on your own doorstep.


Why this sector

This isn't just a niche I picked for business reasons. I'm a member of Amnesty International. I support the Center for Countering Digital Hate. I care about LGBTQ+ rights, social justice, and the kind of unglamorous, difficult work that actually changes things.

When I work with a heritage charity or an arts organisation or a social justice campaign, I'm not pretending to be interested. These are the causes I'd be reading about anyway.