Renowned health and first-aid charity, St John Ambulance, has recorded more than 760,000 hours of volunteer patient care and support since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, co-ordinated by sophisticated IT infrastructure implemented by managed services provider, Digital Space.
Having operated for over 140 years, St John Ambulance is one of the UK’s leading first-aid charities, synonymous with emergency response, community support and saving lives. Despite its longevity, the pandemic has accelerated demand on its volunteers to levels never experienced before, which meant the charity had to effectively co-ordinate emergency response across multiple dedicated sites UK wide.
As a long-term IT solutions partner, Digital Space has worked with St John Ambulance for over 10 years and successfully secured a three-year contract extension at the close of 2019 following a competitive tendering process.
As a result, Digital Space implemented a Wide Area Network [WAN] solution, which links every regional site across one single network, enabling fast and efficient connectivity and communication both internally and externally. This not only proved fundamental in the delivery of operational, communication and co-ordination work but also ensured all patients were seen and received medical attention as quickly as possible.
In recognising the sheer importance of the role, St John Ambulance has and continues to volunteer on the frontline, in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. Digital Space placed the charity under high priority at the start of the first lockdown in March 2020, which included a dedicated IT advisor, and the guarantee of rapid response and back-up service should any issues arise.
To date, the IT systems have remained in full working order, enabling St John Ambulance’s volunteers to focus on their life-saving work, without any issues.
Sean Cooter, Head of IT for St John Ambulance, confirmed: “Digital Space has always provided a strong understanding of our organisation, with a focus on the customer needs every step of the digital journey. We know that we can always rely on Digital Space for expertise and advice, particularly during critical times like the COVID-19 pandemic and, as a result, they are now an extension of our team, rather than just a supplier.”
Backed by private equity firm, Horizon Capital, Digital Space is a Crown Commercial Service supplier, having been awarded a place on the UK Government Cloud [G-Cloud] 12 Framework for 20 of its IT Cloud and Security solutions for public sector organisations.
Neil Muller, CEO of Digital Space, added: “The COVID-19 pandemic has proved incredibly challenging and has highlighted the pivotal role first-aid charities, like St John Ambulance, play in supporting our communities.
Therefore, the Digital Space team and I are not only delighted to have extended our long-term relationship, but to have also provided and managed the infrastructure required to help co-ordinate such an incredible volunteer response, giving the organisation and its volunteers the space to save thousands of lives.”
Born from the heritage of managed services firm, Timico, Digital Space boasts a leading client portfolio with key brands including Burger King and Harrods Aviation
