Chance to Shine is a UK based charity dedicated to inspiring young people through cricket and education programmes. The organisation operates with 32 staff based primarily at its London office, supported by a number of hybrid and remote workers. Its IT environment is fully cloud based, with Microsoft 365 supporting collaboration, communication, and reporting across the organisation.
Chance to Shine had outgrown its existing IT arrangement, which relied on a shared Microsoft 365 tenant managed externally. While this setup initially provided a functional foundation, it increasingly limited the organisation’s control, visibility and responsiveness as the team expanded. Delays in support and a lack of defined service levels began to impact productivity, particularly within a hybrid working model.
The organisation also faced challenges around governance and compliance. Remaining within an externally controlled tenant restricted access to security configurations, licensing optimisation and long term IT planning. With growing requirements around Cyber Essentials and funding compliance, the charity needed to demonstrate clear ownership of its systems and data. The reliance on third party oversight created unnecessary dependencies and reduced confidence in the IT environment. A strategic move towards independence and improved operational resilience became essential.
A structured Microsoft 365 migration programme was delivered to transition Chance to Shine into a fully independent and optimised IT environment. The process began with the creation of a dedicated Microsoft 365 tenant, designed to provide complete ownership and control over identity, security and governance through Microsoft Entra ID.
A full audit of users, data and licensing was undertaken to ensure the new environment was aligned to organisational needs. Licensing was optimised to replace enterprise level subscriptions with a more cost effective and appropriately scaled solution. All 32 user mailboxes were carefully migrated to Exchange Online, ensuring continuity of email, calendars and contacts with minimal disruption to staff.
SharePoint and OneDrive data, totalling over 800GB, were migrated in a structured manner. This provided an opportunity to improve document organisation, implement clearer ownership and reduce reliance on fragmented personal storage. Legacy data was reviewed and rationalised where appropriate to streamline the environment.
All user devices were enrolled into Microsoft Intune, enabling centralised device management, compliance monitoring and consistent configuration across the organisation. Security controls including multifactor authentication, conditional access policies, encryption and Microsoft Defender were implemented to protect users and data.
A phased migration approach was adopted, supported by clear communication and user guidance to ensure a smooth transition. Alongside the technical delivery, a managed IT support service was introduced, providing proactive monitoring, responsive help desk support and strategic oversight. This ensured that the new environment not only met immediate needs but could continue to evolve alongside the organisation.
Chance to Shine now operates within a fully independent Microsoft 365 environment, giving the organisation complete control over its systems, data and security policies. This has significantly improved transparency, governance and confidence across the organisation.
Users benefit from a more responsive and reliable IT experience, with faster support and better performance across core tools such as email, SharePoint and Teams. The improved structure of document storage has enhanced collaboration and made it easier for staff to locate and manage information.
Security has been strengthened through consistent policies, device management and enhanced monitoring, supporting the organisation’s Cyber Essentials objectives and reducing overall risk. The introduction of Intune ensures all devices are compliant, encrypted and centrally managed, regardless of location.
The migration has also delivered cost efficiencies through optimised licensing, while establishing a scalable foundation for future growth. With a proactive managed service now in place, the organisation benefits from ongoing support, strategic guidance and continuous improvement, enabling staff to focus on delivering impact rather than managing technology.
- Migration to a fully independent Microsoft 365 tenant
- Deployment of security controls including MFA, conditional access and encryption
- Improved user experience and faster support response
- Enhanced SharePoint structure and document management
