How IT Champion Supports The Donkey Sanctuary’s Ongoing Technology Transformation
At A Glance
The Donkey Sanctuary is one of the world’s largest equine welfare charities, employing between 501 and 1,000 people and operating across the UK and internationally. Approximately 370 employees are based in the UK, including around 89 employees in Sidmouth and 59 in the greater Exeter area.
IT Champion first began working with the charity in July 2018 on an infrastructure modernisation project before the relationship evolved into a Flex+ Managed Services partnership in November 2022. Today, IT Champion provides strategic IT expertise, infrastructure support, and ongoing guidance to help the charity continue its digital transformation journey.
The Challenge
The Donkey Sanctuary’s mission is to transform the lives of donkeys and mules worldwide through welfare, education, veterinary support, and community programmes. Operating across numerous sites in the UK and Europe, the charity depended on technology to enable communication, collaboration, administration, and the delivery of essential services.
When IT Champion first became involved, the charity’s infrastructure was becoming increasingly dated. Core systems relied on ageing physical servers and legacy network equipment, while many services remained hosted on-premises. The organisation needed a clear technology strategy that would improve resilience, modernise infrastructure, strengthen security, and support a gradual move toward cloud-based working.
Alongside the technical challenges, the internal IT team required additional expertise and strategic guidance to help plan and deliver a long-term programme of improvement across a complex multi-site environment.
The Solution
Rather than applying a series of short-term fixes, we worked closely with The Donkey Sanctuary to deliver a structured programme of modernisation aligned with the charity’s operational goals.
Modernising the Core Infrastructure
The first phase, beginning in 2018, focused on replacing ageing physical server infrastructure with a modern virtualised environment. New server platforms were implemented, workloads were migrated from legacy hardware, and the charity gained a more resilient and manageable foundation for future growth.
At the same time, we supported the replacement of legacy network infrastructure with modern networking and security technologies across multiple locations. This programme continues to support greater visibility, standardisation, and connectivity across the organisation.
Enabling Modern Hybrid Working
To improve collaboration and reduce dependency on on-premises systems, we helped optimise their use of Microsoft 365 licensing. Mail systems were migrated to Exchange Online, while Microsoft Teams and SharePoint became key collaboration platforms for staff working across different sites and departments.
The ongoing move towards cloud services continues to support the charity’s digital transformation strategy while recognising the practical requirements of specialist systems that remain business-critical.
Strategic IT Partnership
As the relationship matured, The Donkey Sanctuary transitioned to our Flex+ Managed Services solution in November 2022. This formalised a long-term partnership focused on strategic technology planning, infrastructure management, and specialist expertise.
Through regular on-site engagement, infrastructure reviews, project leadership, and technology planning sessions, IT Champion works alongside the internal IT team to help prioritise improvements, evaluate emerging technologies, and maintain momentum across long-term projects.
This partnership model provides the charity with access to senior infrastructure expertise while complementing the skills of their in-house team.
Strengthening Cyber Security
As part of the wider transformation programme, IT Champion has supported The Donkey Sanctuary’s cyber security journey, helping the organisation achieve Cyber Essentials Plus certification and maintain a strong security posture.
Ongoing discussions around advanced security services, including advanced threat protection solutions continue as part of future security planning.
The Impact
The transformation has delivered much more than technology upgrades.
The Donkey Sanctuary now benefits from a significantly modernised infrastructure platform, improved network performance, more resilient systems, and a clear roadmap for future development.
The adoption of Microsoft 365, Teams, and SharePoint has enabled improved communication and collaboration across a geographically dispersed organisation, helping staff access information and work together more effectively.
Through infrastructure modernisation, ongoing strategic reviews, and support around Cyber Essentials Plus, security has become a proactive and continuously evolving part of the sanctuary’s technology strategy.
What began as a project engagement in July 2018 has developed into a trusted long-term partnership. Today, we act as an extension of The Donkey Sanctuary’s IT team, providing specialist infrastructure expertise, strategic guidance, and project support that helps drive ongoing digital transformation
Why It Worked
The success of this partnership comes down to more than technology.
A long-term approach rather than quick fixes. Since 2018, improvements have been delivered as part of a structured roadmap aligned to the charity’s evolving needs.
Working alongside the internal IT team. Rather than replacing in-house expertise, IT Champion provides additional specialist knowledge, strategic guidance, and escalation support when required.
Balancing modernisation with operational reality. Infrastructure, networking, Microsoft 365, and security improvements have been implemented at a pace that supports the organisation’s day-to-day operations.
A focus on continual improvement. Regular reviews, project planning, and technology discussions ensure the charity continues to strengthen its infrastructure, security posture, and digital capabilities.
For organisations with complex environments, limited specialist resources, or long-term transformation goals, the greatest value often comes from having a technology partner who understands both the technical requirements and the wider organisational objectives.
“The team at IT Champion have taken the time to understand our organisation, our challenges, and where we want to go. They’ve worked alongside our internal IT team to help modernise our infrastructure, strengthen security, and provide practical advice we can trust. Most importantly, they understand that technology should support our mission, not get in the way of it.”
Pete Scanlan, Head of Infrastructure and Security
The Donkey Sanctuary
Key Takeaway
Technology transformation is rarely about replacing systems alone. For organisations like the Donkey Sanctuary, success comes from having a trusted IT partner who can combine strategic thinking, technical expertise, and long-term support.
What began as an infrastructure modernisation project in 2018 has evolved into a lasting partnership that continues to help the charity modernise, strengthen security, and support its mission across the UK and beyond. The result is not just better technology, but greater confidence in the systems and strategy that support the organisation every day.
Industry sector
Animal Welfare, Not-for-Profit
Location
Head Office in Sidmouth, Devon
Date
September 2026
Organisation size
750 – 1000 employees
