• Client:

    Peter le Marchant Trust

  • Location:

    Loughborough

  • Date:

    Ongoing

Overview

Peter le Marchant Trust is a long-standing charity based in Loughborough, dedicated to providing canal boat experiences for people with serious illnesses or disabilities. While their work in the community is invaluable, the charity faces operational challenges—including limited funding and high volunteer turnover—which affect the reliability and sustainability of their IT systems.

Recognising the importance of efficient, secure, and reliable IT in today’s world—even for charitable organisations—Varciti stepped in to provide support tailored to the Trust’s unique needs and constraints.

The Challenge

  • Limited Budget – As a non-profit, the Trust was unable to afford traditional commercial IT support services.
  • High Volunteer Turnover – Frequent staff and volunteer changes meant repeated IT setups and training, putting pressure on already limited resources.
  • Outdated and Unmonitored Systems – Lacked professional-grade monitoring, security, and standardisation.
  • Licensing Costs – High costs for software like Microsoft Office were unsustainable on a charity budget.

Our Solution

Varciti took a partnership-first approach, ensuring the Trust could maintain an effective IT environment without stretching its resources:

1. Full IT Support at Cost

We agreed to support the Trust at a not-for-profit rate, covering only essential costs to enable ongoing service without compromising on quality.
 

2. Infrastructure Assessment & Stabilisation

  • Conducted a full audit of their existing IT systems and identified security and performance gaps.
  • Installed Datto RMM (Remote Monitoring and Management) software to proactively monitor all devices for faults, security risks, and hardware degradation.
  • Deployed ESET antivirus protection across all machines to prevent common threats and reduce vulnerabilities.
     

3. Microsoft 365 Charity Licensing

  • Successfully applied for and implemented Microsoft 365 Nonprofit licensing on behalf of the Trust.
  • Migrated existing users onto the platform, providing them with access to Outlook, Word, Excel, Teams, and more at a fraction of the standard cost.
  • Ensured cloud backups and secure identity management through Microsoft’s secure infrastructure.
     

4. Volunteer Turnover Support

  • Implemented user management policies and documentation to make onboarding and offboarding of volunteers seamless.
  • Configured accounts with role-based access to protect sensitive data and improve user experience.

The Results

Quality of Service – Professional IT systems and support now match the quality of the Trust’s work in the community.

Support – Ongoing, reliable support means fewer interruptions and a smoother experience for staff and volunteers.

Helping the Community – Varciti’s cost-only model allows the Trust to allocate more of its funding to its core mission while still benefiting from modern IT solutions.

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