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Customer Story

The Youth Association

Empowering a 121-year-old charity with modern IT and peace of mind

Background

For over a century, The Youth Association has been transforming young lives across Yorkshire. Founded in 1904, it’s one of the oldest youth work charities in the world, helping young people develop life-changing skills through recreation, learning, and social engagement.

We spoke to Dmitry Fedotov, CEO of The Youth Association, about how CloudClevr freed up his time to focus more on what matters.

The challenge: Outgrowing a self-serve IT model

For The Youth Association, IT underpins almost everything they do, from reporting on outcomes to communicating with partners and stakeholders. But behind the scenes, the organisation’s IT setup was holding them back. As the charity grew, especially post-pandemic, its self-managed IT model couldn’t keep pace.

Until 2015, IT was managed internally by the CEO, Dmitry, but as operations scaled, this approach became unsustainable.

“From buying laptops to managing mobile contracts, IT was taking too much of my time,” explains Dmitry. “We needed a partner who could take IT off my plate and help us grow securely.”

The Association faced three core challenges:

  • Security risks: They relied on a basic antivirus system and used a shared Google platform that lacked role-based access controls. Sensitive data could be viewed by anyone with access.
  • Lack of centralised IT management: The charity had no centralised control or device management, with no unified policies or oversight.
  • Poor connectivity: : The office Wi-Fi was unreliable, with constant staff complaints.

“We had huge gaps in our cybersecurity and no real control over who could access what. Our systems simply weren’t fit for a growing organisation.”

The need was clear – a trusted partner who could strengthen security, centralise management, and take over day-to-day IT support.

The solution: A modern workplace built on CloudClevr expertise

CloudClevr had an initial consultation with The Youth Association and began a comprehensive audit of its systems, identifying vulnerabilities and inefficiencies. We laid out our findings and provided a clear, prioritised set of recommendations, aligned with security best practices and the charity’s needs.

From that, a clear IT roadmap was created, showing how to stabilise, secure, and modernise its environment.

The Youth Association was impressed by the structured approach and signed up for CloudClevr’s full IT Managed Service.

From there, CloudClevr delivered a series of targeted projects:

  • Reconfiguration of all laptops and installation of Microsoft Intune for centralised device management, conditional access policies, and security policy rollouts.
  • Migrated licenses to Microsoft 365 Business Premium, providing enterprise-grade protection and productivity tools within budget.
  • Deployed Microsoft Defender for Endpoint to close security gaps and protect against threats.
  • Rolled out a new wireless network, ensuring stable, building-wide connectivity.

“CloudClevr didn’t just patch problems – they built a plan. They showed us exactly where we were exposed, and how to get from that to a secure, modern setup.”, says Dmitry.

“That roadmap made all the difference. It showed exactly where we were, where we needed to go, and how to get there. CloudClevr’s approach was methodical and practical – it gave us confidence to move forward.”, says Dmitry.

The results: A secure, connected organisation and time back for leadership

With CloudClevr managing IT, The Youth Association now operates on a modern, secure, and compliant foundation, with far less day-to-day IT pressure on leadership.

“Cybersecurity isn’t something you think about until something goes wrong. Having CloudClevr monitor and protect us proactively means I don’t have to worry about what could go wrong. That peace of mind is invaluable and absolutely worth the investment”, says Dmitry.

Cybersecurity risks are now proactively managed, and the organisation benefits from reliable connectivity and responsive support.

“The biggest benefit has been getting my time back. I no longer worry about devices, licences, or updates. I can focus on leading the Association, knowing our systems are in safe hands”

Dmitry also highlights the strength of CloudClevr’s customer relationship:

“We have a dedicated account manager from CloudClevr who has been fantastic. He knows our setup, gives great advice, and the communication is always clear and helpful. It’s that personal relationship that sets CloudClevr apart.”

As The Youth Association continues to grow, they’re confident their IT foundation can scale with them – supported by a proactive partner that keeps them secure, connected, and future-ready.

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