The Fairhaven Garden Trust: Our 2025 Sponsorship Reviewed

By the close of 2025 our team will have donated 96 hours of IT support time to the Fairhaven Garden Trust

With a value of around £6000 + VAT, here’s a summary of what we’ve done for the charity this year:

Provided Stability

The charity has had a few staffing changes this year, this has meant that certain knowledge about the way the IT infrastructure has been set up has been lost. We’ve been able to get a handle on the system and help the charity maintain a stable path during this time of change.

Implemented Patch Management & Security

We’ve introduced tools that maintain oversight on the desktops and laptops and introduced a proper strategy for detecting and installing software patches. This – combined with a new cloud managed security suite – means systems are much better protected against cyber threats.

Improved Point of Sale Resilience

The tills serving the cafeteria and shop were often losing connection to the network, this turned out to have multiple causes. These issues were largely resolved with the installation of new network infrastructure and migrating the back end services to a more suitable on premise server.

Updated Call Flows to Serve Callers and Staff

We provided ongoing support for the IP phone system we installed last year, including a new call flow to make this better for both callers and staff. Callers can now access an information line, freeing up some staff time.

Microsoft 365 Tenant Ownership

We’ve helped the charity to get a handle on a Microsoft 365 tenant that they were using, but which had previously set up by a volunteer that was no longer able to support them. We assisted in regaining ownership and getting administrative oversight on this platform in order to ensure data can be secured in a way that meets the needs of the charity.

Mail Server Migration

Although the charity had a Microsoft 365 tenant, they were not using it for email and instead were paying a third party host for these services. In order to save money we assisted the charity in migrating email services from the third party host to the Microsoft 365 tenant.

On-boarding & Off-boarding Processes

Like any organisation, when people come and go the correct oversight is required so starters are granted access to the right data and IT services, and when people leave the organisation, access to data and services is correctly revoked. We’ve developed processes that will help ensure this charity secures their infrastructure correctly when staffing changes.

On Prem vs On Prem Consultation

We’ve provided advice about the advantages and disadvantages of storing data on premise versus storing data in a public or private cloud, and we’ve laid the groundwork so that either option – or a hybrid approach – can be adopted.

Windows 11 Migrations

In 2025 we saw Windows 10 EOL. We’ve assisted the charity with replacing some devices and upgrading others to Windows 11, improving security.

Day to Day Support

As well as providing support with these specific projects, we’ve provided day to day support.

The Impact of Our Support

Our comprehensive IT support has had a significant impact on the charities operations:

• By the end of the year we will have provided the charity with 96 hours worth of IT support for free, this has a value of around £6000 + VAT.
• The migration of email service to an existing Microsoft 365 tenant is saving the charity money.
• Regular maintenance, updates, and security measures have reduced the risk of data breaches and system vulnerabilities.
• Our approach to IT management has helped to prepare the charity for future changes and has mapped out the options for their future development.

Looking Ahead

As our sponsorship of The Fairhaven Garden Trust comes to a close, we’re proud of the lasting impact we’ve made on their operations.

We look forward to selecting our next sponsored charity for 2026, carrying forward our commitment to supporting the community through accessible, high-quality IT services.