Web hosting and design company Easyspace transforms international scouting website

Web hosting and design company Easyspace has given the UK’s ugliest website a makeover. 
Easyspace logo
Easyspace logo

The website, http://www.jamborette.org.uk/, which promotes a popular international Scout camp - the Blair Atholl International Jamborette - was judged to be ‘dull and old fashioned’ in a competition run by Easyspace to find the worst looking website in Britain.

The Jamborette is a global biennial event that draws together 1000 young Scouts from 20 countries to an international camp at Blair Atholl in the Scottish Highlands. The website for the event is run by Scouting volunteers and beat off competition from more than 500 other ‘ugly’ websites to win a £3,500 makeover by the Easyspace web design team. Easyspace’s web design team creates new websites for hundreds of customers every year, from start-ups to established businesses whose online presence needs a facelift.

Sarah Haran, managing director of Easyspace, said: “We were inundated with entries from some really out-dated websites but the Jamborette’s was by far the worst. It looked really old fashioned and was difficult to navigate. The volunteers who created it ten years ago did a great job at the time but Easyspace was able to bring it right up to date and build a much more attractive and engaging website. Thanks to some Easyspace TLC, the Blair Atholl Jamborette website now looks great.”

A spokesperson for Scouts Scotland said: “Blair Atholl International Jamborette is the most exciting event on the Scottish Scout calendar where we host Scouts from all over the world. The website is staffed by volunteers who knew how dated it looked and decided to enter the competition. We are very happy with the result from Easyspace. The Blair Atholl website is now as fresh and fun as the Jamborette itself.”

Andrew Sharkey, who leads the Blair Atholl Jamborette, added: “The new website works really smoothly and is just what we need to help publicise our event around the world and grab the attention of young people hoping to take part.  With the Duchess of Cambridge recently joining The Scout Association as a volunteer, we are expecting even more web traffic and interest in Scouting events such as this.”

The Blair Atholl International Jamborette is an opportunity for international Scouts to meet their Scottish counterparts as they take part in adventure and outdoor activities as well as living and cooking together on site.

Andrew Sharkey added: “Even though we were judged the ugliest website in the UK, we were very excited to have won the opportunity of a makeover. We’ve been really impressed by Easyspace’s input during the design process and are thrilled with the finished product. We hope that our participants and other stakeholders will enjoy using it.”

Sarah Haran of Easyspace concluded: “The old Jamborette website just didn’t do the event justice. With the next camp taking place this July, the brand new design not only brings it into the twenty first century but will also help to attract more Scouts from other countries around the world in the future.” 

Easyspace is a subsidiary of AIM listed iomart Group plc which was named Scottish Digital IT Company of the Year 2011 and has just been voted one of the best web hosting companies in the world by HostReview.