Young Lewisham Project is a vocational education provider supporting young people through practical learning, creative development and employability-focused programmes. The organisation works across both administrative and creative disciplines, with staff using a mixture of Windows PCs and Macs to deliver services, manage records, communicate with stakeholders and support students in building skills for the future.
Young Lewisham Project had reached a point where its existing IT arrangements were no longer fully aligned with the way its team needed to work. Email was hosted through Ionos, which was creating challenges around reliability, accessibility and integration with modern workplace tools. Documents were stored in Google Drive, but the organisation needed a more structured and collaborative environment for managing files, permissions and version control.
Security and device management were also important areas for improvement. Antivirus protection was not consistently deployed across all devices, and there was limited centralised management for updates, policies and security controls. With staff working across both Mac and Windows environments, Young Lewisham Project needed an IT approach that could support creative and administrative users effectively.
The organisation also had limited in-house IT experience, meaning staff needed reliable support and strategic guidance to reduce day-to-day technical pressures and strengthen the overall IT environment.
Qlic IT recommended a structured migration to Microsoft 365, supported by improved security, backup and device management. The project began with a review of the existing IT environment to identify priority areas and establish a practical roadmap for modernising systems without creating unnecessary disruption for staff.
The migration from Ionos to Microsoft 365 was designed to provide a more reliable and integrated email platform through Exchange Online. Five mailboxes were identified for migration, with the process planned carefully to protect continuity of access and ensure users could move across smoothly.
Microsoft 365 Business Premium licences were introduced to provide access to Exchange Online, SharePoint, OneDrive and Intune. This gave Young Lewisham Project a stronger foundation for communication, collaboration and centralised management. Approximately 15GB of Google Drive data was prepared for migration into SharePoint, creating a more structured document environment with improved permissions, version control and secure access.
Security was strengthened through the deployment of Sophos Intercept X, replacing inconsistent antivirus coverage across devices. Encryption was also included where required, helping to protect information held on staff devices. Microsoft Defender for 365 was proposed to improve protection across email and cloud services, while a third-party backup solution was introduced for SharePoint, OneDrive, Teams and Exchange.
To support device management, devices were identified for enrolment into Intune. This included four Windows Home to Pro upgrades and one Windows 10 to Windows 11 upgrade, helping establish a more consistent and manageable IT estate across both Windows and Mac devices.
The project gave Young Lewisham Project a clearer, more secure and more scalable IT foundation. By moving from Ionos to Microsoft 365, staff gained access to a more reliable communication platform that integrates more effectively with the tools they use every day. The move from Google Drive to SharePoint provided a more structured approach to document storage, collaboration and access control.
Security was improved through the deployment of managed antivirus, encryption and enhanced cloud protection. The introduction of a third-party Microsoft 365 backup solution reduced the risk of data loss and improved resilience across email, files and collaboration services.
Device enrolment into Intune gave the organisation a stronger platform for managing updates, policies and security controls centrally. This was particularly important for a mixed environment of Macs and Windows PCs, where consistency and visibility are essential.
With proactive support, strategic guidance and access to training through Bigger Brains, Young Lewisham Project is now better equipped to manage its IT confidently, reduce time spent troubleshooting and focus more of its energy on supporting young people.
- Migration from Ionos email to Microsoft 365.
- Microsoft 365 Business Premium introduced across the organisation
- SharePoint and OneDrive introduced for structured collaboration and secure file access.
- Sophos Intercept X deployed to replace inconsistent antivirus protection.
- Microsoft Defender for 365 proposed for enhanced email and cloud protection.
- Windows upgrades planned to support modern device management.
- Staff given access to Bigger Brains training to support adoption.
- Ongoing strategic IT support established for a mixed Mac and Windows environmen
