Teamwork Trust has been developing a best practice approach to the management of its data – protecting personal information and improving business processes along the way.

Pilkington Communications Ltd has been supporting the three-month project to ensure the Northamptonshire charity adheres to data protection regulations and GDPR requirements.

Teamwork’s Head of Finance & Infrastructure, Alison Taylor Burt explains how the project was driven by strategic-focused goal.

We didn’t want to make the mistake of thinking that data management was just an IT issue. This work spanned the whole organisation so that we could really refine the way we collect and store personal information. It was about unlocking the business potential in our electronic and hardcopy data, and we are confident that the processes we now have in place will open even more volunteering, fundraising and outsourcing opportunities.

The project included a review of how Teamwork operates and how individual departments manage data, evaluating the charity’s core business activities and externally funded projects, standardising paper processes, and an audit of data security.

David Chadwick, Director of Pilkington Communications said: “Protecting personal data can be a real challenge for charities, but investment in refining GDPR processes can bring about real business success. This is not the end of our work with Teamwork - there is lots to do to make the controls even more robust so that all three centres and departments are following the same approach. Plans for a server review and further training for staff are already underway to make sure processes are fully embedded within the organisation.”