Fifteen Years of Pooka: What’s Changed, What’s Stayed the Same, and What Comes Next

30 December 2025

A Digital Dispatch by Marcus Wilson, Director

Wordpress

Marcus and Paul introducing Fifteen Years of Pooka & Co

It’s hard to believe Pooka & Co is 15 years old.

In some ways, it feels like time has flown by. In others, it feels like several different digital eras have come and gone since we started. New platforms, new tools, new expectations and now, whole new questions about AI, ownership, and trust.

What’s surprised us most, though, isn’t how much has changed.

It’s how much hasn’t.

From one person to a global team

When Pooka began, it was just me building websites, working closely with organisations who were trying to make a difference, and figuring things out as I went. In the early years, growth came through partnerships: designers, developers, specialists working together on a project-by-project basis.

That spirit of collaboration never went away. It’s what allowed Pooka to grow steadily and sustainably and today, it’s what defines us.

We now have a core team of eight, alongside a trusted network of designers, CRM specialists, and digital experts we work with regularly. That breadth of skills means we can offer something much more holistic than we ever could before, without losing the personal, hands-on way we like to work.

At heart, though, the work is still the same: helping organisations who are doing good in the world reach the people who matter.

That’s been Pooka’s mission from day one, and it’s still what gets us out of bed in the morning.

The shifting role of the website

One of the biggest changes over the last 15 years has been the relationship between websites and social media.

When Pooka started, social platforms were new, exciting, and full of promise. Websites were often built to integrate directly with them, pushing content outwards to reach new audiences.

Over time, that landscape has fractured. Platforms have changed. Ethical questions have become harder to ignore, particularly for charities and nonprofits. And there’s been a growing realisation that content published on social media isn’t really owned by the organisation creating it.

As a result, we’ve seen a clear shift back towards the website as the digital home, the place where organisations have control, continuity, and long-term value.

At the same time, how people use websites has changed dramatically.

The iPhone is now nearly 20 years old, and most people browse the web primarily on a phone or tablet. That’s a constant reminder for us as designers and developers: while we might be working on large screens, the real experience is happening in someone’s hand, on the sofa, on the bus, or between meetings.

Designing for that reality is no longer optional.

Open source coming into its own

Another huge shift has been the rise of open-source technology.

When Pooka began, WordPress powered a tiny fraction of the web. Today, it runs around 43% of all websites globally. Tools like CiviCRM have grown alongside it, becoming powerful, flexible platforms trusted by thousands of organisations worldwide.

That growth mirrors a wider change in our clients too. People are far more digitally literate than they were 15 years ago. Many can manage day-to-day content themselves, and they expect to.

Our role has evolved accordingly.

Increasingly, our work is about integration rather than isolation: connecting websites seamlessly with CRMs, finance systems, booking platforms, and internal workflows. It’s about helping organisations understand their audiences in the round, and making sure their digital tools genuinely support how they work.

Doing things properly

Over the years, we’ve also seen new expectations emerge, and rightly so.

Accessibility, privacy, cookies, data protection: these are no longer “nice to have”. They’re essential. Our clients are aware of them, but they need support to implement them properly and confidently.

That’s where we’ve gravitated – helping teams take what they already know and move to the next level, without fear or overwhelm.

And throughout all of this, one thing hasn’t changed at all.

The ethos stays the same

We’ve always believed that digital should help organisations do good, in big ways and small ones.

Both of Pooka’s Directors (Paul and myself) came from the third sector originally. That background shapes how we work, the decisions we make, and the kind of company we want Pooka to be. Being a digital partner for good isn’t a slogan for us; it’s about trust, long-term relationships, and doing what’s right for clients and their audiences.

People come to Pooka because they know we’re a safe pair of hands. They know we’re in it for the long haul. Websites and systems shouldn’t have a three-year lifespan — they should grow, adapt, and continue delivering value over time.

That mindset underpins everything we do.

Teams, trust, and playing Jenga

Some of our proudest moments this year have been about people, not platforms.

Working with organisations like the Cotswold Canals Trust, helping them rationalise years of digital sprawl and bring websites, CRM, fundraising, and communications together, reminds us why joined-up thinking matters.

Taking five team members from across the globe to WordCamp Europe was another highlight. Spending time together, learning together, and yes, playing a competitive game of Jenga, was a real marker of how far Pooka has come.

We’re a flat team. There’s very little hierarchy. People lead in their areas, speak up, and bring their whole selves to work. That culture matters and it’s been especially important during a period of faster growth over the last couple of years.

Looking ahead to 2026

If there’s one word that sums up the next chapter, it’s foundations.

AI is exciting. It’s also daunting. There are big questions about where it belongs, where it doesn’t, and how much automation audiences will tolerate before something feels hollow or inauthentic.

We’re curious by nature, so we’re exploring it, but always with a human line drawn clearly in place.

What we’re seeing from clients is a desire to slow down and invest wisely: in privacy, accessibility, CRM, digital communications, and systems that will stand the test of time. These aren’t trends. They’re fundamentals.

Our role going forward is to help organisations shore up those foundations, so that whatever comes next, they’re prepared.

Fifteen years in, that still feels like the right place for Pooka to be. Quietly curious. People-first. And focused on helping good organisations do good work, now, and well into the future.