How managed IT support from Deliver Digital helped Local Hospice Lottery save time, reduce risk and focus on what matters most.

Client overview

Local Hospice Lottery (LHL) is the UK’s largest hospice lottery. Founded to raise vital funds for hospice care, LHL now supports 42 hospices across England, Wales and Scotland. Its unique model boosts returns for each partner hospice through collaborative working and centralised fundraising.

With over 150 people involved in delivering and promoting the lottery, from in-house staff to self-employed fundraisers and agency partners, the organisation depends on secure, reliable systems to operate smoothly and meet regulatory requirements. At this scale, even a small IT issue can have a big impact, which makes efficiency and resilience essential.

The challenge

As LHL scaled, so did its IT demands. The team needed dependable, day-to-day IT support, but also expert input on governance, strategy and project planning. Compliance with the Gambling Commission’s data security requirements added another layer of complexity, making information governance a top priority.

“Deliver Digital provides a level of expertise that would’ve cost twice as much to build in-house.”

Although Deliver Digital and LHL share a parent organisation in Farleigh Hospice, the decision to work together wasn’t a given. As CEO Gary Hawkes explained, “We had to look at what was best for us in terms of IT supply. Deliver Digital offered a level of expertise that would’ve cost twice as much to build in-house.”

But cost-saving wasn’t the only concern. LHL needed a partner that could integrate smoothly with internal teams, advise on critical decisions and be trusted to deliver support at pace.

The solution

Deliver Digital became an embedded IT partner, supporting everything from day-to-day technical queries to complex compliance audits. Their role quickly extended beyond reactive helpdesk support into strategic projects and advisory input, and even sustainable skills development. Apprentices are involved in real client work, gaining experience while contributing value from the start.

“That £100,000 saving on telephony means more money for hospice care.”

Key projects included:

• Telephony overhaul: Deliver Digital helped implement a new phone system projected to save LHL around £100,000 over five years. “That’s £100,000 more for frontline hospice care,” said Gary.

• Finance system procurement: Deliver Digital carried out information governance reviews of potential providers to ensure LHL’s choice was secure and compliant.

• Website redevelopment: Their technical input during supplier selection and development helped futureproof the lottery’s new digital platform.

• Ongoing audits: As part of LHL’s Gambling Commission licence, Deliver Digital supports their annual IT security audits. “We’ve gone from major issues in early audits to just a couple of low-level observations now,” said Gary.

• IT strategy development: Deliver Digital are part of LHL’s new working group to create a long-term IT roadmap aligned with organisational growth.

“Every year, our audit results improve. That’s peace of mind we can’t put a price on.”

The impact

Deliver Digital’s involvement has created measurable improvements across the board:

• Audit compliance has strengthened year on year, with recent results showing no major or minor issues.

• Cost savings from the telephony upgrade alone will release six figures for hospice care.

• Efficiency gains have been significant, including digitising fundraiser sign-up processes that previously relied on manual paper handling.

• Confidence and resilience have grown internally. “They triage quickly, escalate when needed and get things sorted. We know we’re in safe hands,” Gary explained.

• Even seemingly small details, like their intuitive helpdesk process (log a request via email, no login needed), contribute to smoother day-to-day working.

The client experience

LHL sees Deliver Digital not as an outsourced vendor but as part of their extended team. “They’re professional, friendly and efficient,” said Gary. “They deliver what you want in a way that’s personable but always focused.”

Support is not just reactive. Alongside system migrations, strategic planning and staff training, apprentices also contribute in meaningful ways. As Gary explained, “One of their apprentices even ran an Excel training course for us - it helped their development and ours.”

When asked for advice to other charities or businesses considering Deliver Digital, Gary doesn’t hesitate, “Just do it.”