From Shed Beginnings to Award-Winning Digital Agency

Time really does fly. One moment you’re setting up a desk in a garden shed, and the next you’re celebrating 15 years of websites, campaigns, apprenticeships and a whole lot of memories.

Adopstar began in 2010 with one big idea and one big client. Today, we’re an award winning, full-service agency with an international client base, acclaimed apprenticeship programmes and a team that’s as passionate about people as we are about performance.

Here’s how we got here.

The Early Days (2010–2013)Anchor link

It started with Paul Benson, a garden shed and one very big first client - Euromoney. Those early days were hands-on and full of energy, with every small win feeling like a giant leap forward.

Within a month, our first employee had joined, turning the business from a one-man venture into a growing team with real momentum. By 2013, Theresa Benson had stepped in as Managing Director, bringing structure and strategy to match the ambition. Around the same time, we traded the shed for our first High Street office - a milestone that made everything feel that bit more real.

And it wasn’t all work. In 2012, we took our very first staff trip to Lanzarote - the beginning of a tradition of celebrating success together and building the team spirit that still defines Adopstar today.

Growth, Grit and Giving Back (2014–2016)Anchor link

2014 was the year apprenticeships took centre stage. We made a deliberate choice to invest in people, opening doors for young talent to gain skills, grow in confidence and kick-start careers. As the apprentices thrived, so did the business - more clients, more projects and more energy driving us forward.

In 2015, we added another dimension to who we were by beginning our fundraising journey with CLIC Sargent (now Young Lives). What started as a single campaign grew into a partnership that lasted 8 years and raised more than £130,000 - a cause that means a lot to the whole team.

By 2016, growth demanded more space, so we moved into The Nook - a new home designed for bigger ideas and bigger ambitions. That same year we stepped into the world of sponsorship too, proudly backing Exeter Chiefs prop Ben Moon and beginning what would become a lasting connection with the rugby community.

Making a Bigger Impact (2017–2019)Anchor link

By 2017, charity and community weren’t just something we did now and then - they had become second nature. From donating hundreds of Easter eggs to local hospitals to celebrating apprentices as they completed their NVQs, giving back and growing people was simply part of how we worked. New opportunities kept opening up, both for our team and for the communities around us.

Then came 2018 and 2019, which marked another step up. We welcomed major clients like Global Radio, raised thousands more through charity events and, in the middle of it all, were named Apprenticeship Provider of the Year. It was recognition that the balance we’d struck - between delivering for clients, investing in people and supporting our community - was something truly worth celebrating.

Resilience and Reinvention (2020–2022)Anchor link

When the world shifted in 2020, so did we. Almost overnight, the team moved to remote working - but we didn’t stop there. We also rolled up our sleeves to support the community, delivering food boxes to families who needed a helping hand. Even in the middle of uncertainty, growth never slowed and new faces continued to join the team.

By 2021, we’d expanded our offer with a full-service digital marketing division - covering website development, UX/UI, PPC, Social Media, SEO and more - and relaunched our website to reflect the bigger, bolder Adopstar we’d become.

Then came 2022, a landmark year packed with highlights. We hosted the very first Razzfest, strengthened partnerships, extended our sponsorships and celebrated ranking 2nd in the Top 50 SME Apprenticeship Employers. It was a year that showed just how far we’d come - and how much further we could go.

Awards, Media and Milestones (2023–2024)Anchor link

2023 and 2024 kept us firmly in the spotlight. ITV even filmed a Pride of Britain segment in our office - a moment that reminded us how much our story is rooted in people and community. Alongside that, our awards shelf kept filling, with wins at the Exeter Living Awards and the SPARKies recognising the culture we’ve worked hard to build.

Fundraising remained just as important. Partnering with Mind Devon gave us the chance to support mental health services through skydives, colour runs and more. True to form, we found ways to mix fun with purpose - raising money while making memories along the way.

Celebrating 15 Years in 2025Anchor link

And now here we are - fifteen years in and showing no signs of slowing down. 2025 is already shaping up to be a milestone year, with the same mix of ambition, community spirit and a dash of healthy competition that’s defined our journey so far.

We’re proud to be partnering with the Exeter Chiefs Foundation as our charity. From bingo nights and darts competitions to football matches and the much-loved Long Game, fundraising has been as lively as ever - and as always, every event has brought people together for a good cause.

We’ve launched a brand-new website to showcase what we can do. On top of that, the silverware keeps coming: we’ve been crowned winners of the Devon Chamber People and Work Award and ranked 14th in the Top 50 SME Apprenticeship Employers.

Looking AheadAnchor link

From a shed in 2010 to award-winning campaigns in 2025, it’s been quite a journey. But if there’s one thing we’ve learned along the way, it’s that the real story isn’t about the offices we’ve moved into, the contracts we’ve won or even the trophies on the shelf.

The heart of Adopstar has always been people. The apprentices who’ve launched their careers with us. The communities we’ve supported through fundraising and sponsorship. The clients who’ve trusted us to bring their ideas to life. And the colleagues, past and present, who’ve poured their energy into making Adopstar what it is today.

Fifteen years in, we’re only just getting started. Here’s to the next chapter.