No more external hard drives. No more saving the same document twice. Just simple, secure, seamless teamwork.
Goldhay Arts, a Peterborough-based charity providing creative opportunities for adults with disabilities, only has a a small team with no in-house IT department.
They’d been “muddling along,” as Service Manager Annecka Amos puts it, relying on inherited ways of working and a patchwork system of external drives and double saving.
“There was one for me, one for my colleague. We had to double save documents just to share them. It really wasn’t the most convenient way to work.”
IT Naturally Giving Back to the Local Community
IT Naturally chose to work with Goldhay Arts as one of their chosen charities – as one of their team had been volunteering for them – we donate 1% of our profits to them and another local charity annually but we also provide some IT support.
When we heard about their way of working and their challenges, we offered to help – pro bono – by setting them up on Microsoft 365 through Microsoft’s Nonprofit scheme. This meant Goldhay Arts could access enterprise-level tools for free.
Microsoft 365 for Nonprofits provides eligible charities and NGOs with powerful productivity tools—like Teams, Outlook, OneDrive, and SharePoint—at no cost or discounted rates, helping them do more good with greater efficiency. Learn more at microsoft.com/nonprofits/microsoft-365.
A Real Step Forward
Our Networks and Security Manager, Les led the project. He worked closely with the team to understand what they needed and how best to implement it in a way that felt supportive – not overwhelming.
Annecka shared, “I’ve asked Les some really basic questions, and honestly, the patience he’s shown has been amazing. I felt a bit embarrassed at times, but there’s never been any judgement. It’s just been such a positive experience.”
IT Naturally migrated their files to OneDrive and SharePoint, gave each staff member their own login and email account, and introduced them to Microsoft Teams. Now, instead of waiting on emails or saving files in multiple places, everyone can collaborate in real time – whether they’re in the office or at home.
“It’s definitely saved us time,” said Annecka. “We’re not doing things twice anymore. If I amend a document, someone else can see it straight away. It’s simple – but it’s made a huge difference.”
More Than Just a Setup
While Goldhay Arts don’t have the budget right now for a full support contract, we continue to help with smaller queries.
For Annecka and the team, the change has been transformational: “Staff can now take five minutes in the evening to update a note for a service user, which we just couldn’t do before. We’re getting results faster – and we’re able to focus more on the work that matters.”
This project is a great example of how we give back – not just with technical expertise, but with heart. We’re proud to support organisations like Goldhay Arts that do incredible work in the community.
Do you know a charity that needs to know about Microsoft’s Nonprofit scheme – many share this blog with them so they can benefit too by getting in touch directly.
