Hull-based charity, Hull 4 Heroes, transform their internal processes with SharePoint implementation, thanks to support from local IT company HBP Systems.
Hull 4 Heroes is a charitable organisation, supporting veterans who return from service and face a lack of support. The charity aims to ensure that their transition back into civilian life and regular employment is as seamless as possible. Their growing network of support creates homes, provides education and sources employment for veterans.
When Account Director, Tom Eaton, former Lance Corporal in the Royal Signals, who served in the armed forces for over 6 years before joining HBP Systems in 2017, heard that Hull 4 Heroes founder, Paul Matson, required IT support, he was quick to act on behalf of the business to get something in place.
Tom’s extensive knowledge of IT systems and solutions began when he joined the Royal Signals in 2007, his time in the military saw Tom deploy to Afghanistan in 2011, where he served as part of the Projects Team in HICSSS. He was responsible for managing existing equipment, as well as new installations with no two days being the same: from configuring and installing up to 100 laptops one day, to 800m fibre installations through damaged or flooded pits and ducts. However, after leaving the service, Tom sadly found that support for veterans was minimal.
Tom commented:
“When I left the military, there was one person assigned to support service leavers across the North of the UK. After many attempts to arrange a meeting, I gave up and essentially had to find my own way.
He continued:
“This is why Hull 4 Heroes is so important to me, as they are providing the support needed, to prevent serving Armed Forces personnel, veterans and their families from suffering in silence.”
To reach as many veterans in need as they can, Hull 4 Heroes need to be able to connect with their colleagues and volunteers but were relying on Microsoft Teams to communicate and share files between two members at a time. With locally saved files and a reliance on USBs for the transfer of data, it meant that data wasn’t accessible and required timely, inefficient processes to share data internally.
Following a detailed discovery session with HBP Systems, Paul revealed a number of different areas which needed to be simplified. Now live with their new SharePoint system, Hull 4 Heroes enjoy automated expense management, modernised booking processes linked to their teams’ diaries, proper file structure with secure permissions, and much more. Once the HBP Systems team managed the physical devices and domain, they provided one-on-one training to employees on how to access and use their new SharePoint from any device with an internet connection.
Paul Matson, Hull 4 Heroes founder, says:
“This system has quite simply transformed the way that we work, it’s allowed us to focus on what matters which is helping and supporting Veterans. Every single person that we have worked with at HBP has been brilliant, they’ve helped us speed up everyday processes and they are just a phone call away if we ever have any questions. We cannot thank HBP enough for supporting us with everything they have done, they really are second-to-none.”
The new system is going to be key for Hull 4 Heroes in future-proofing the charity and allowing them to reach and support more veterans.
Tom says:
“The implementation of their new SharePoint is going to be so important for Hull 4 Heroes when it comes to reducing time-consuming processes and giving their employees much needed access to systems and data to support veterans, particularly whilst they’re on-the-go.”
Tom continued: “To have the backing of HBP Systems to support a charity so close to my heart is really a testament to our leadership team and business, I’m delighted to have been a part of it”
Joanne Partridge, HBP Systems Managing Director, says:
“We are so pleased to have been able to support Paul and the team with this project. Hull 4 Heroes offers aid to vulnerable veterans, and without help from the local community and businesses, they would struggle to continue to provide that crucial support.”
If you’re a veteran or know anyone in need of support, you can find out more about the great resources Hull 4 Heroes has to offer here: Hull 4 Heroes.
From left to right: Tom Eaton, Account Director HBP Systems, Richard Bulmer, Strategy Consultant HBP Systems, Paul Matson, Hull 4 Heroes Founder, Councillor Kalvin Neal, Lord Mayor of Kingston upon Hull and Admiral of the Humber and Hull 4 Heroes Trustee.