“A very collaborative approach to project delivery with everyone working well together.“
– Helen Jilks, Leap
Introduction to Leap
Managing a wide range of community services can quickly become complex when information is spread across different systems. For LEAP, bringing everything together became essential to maintaining a clear view of their work.
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About the Client
LEAP is a UK-based charity focused on improving the lives of older people across Lanarkshire. Established in 1992, the organisation delivers a range of services including befriending, community activities, and practical support, reaching thousands of individuals across multiple communities.
The Challenge
As LEAP expanded its services, so did the volume and complexity of its data.
Information was held across more than 20 separate databases, along with spreadsheets, making it difficult to maintain a consistent overview.
Different teams were## Introduction
As LEAP expanded its services, keeping a clear overview of everything became increasingly challenging. They needed a more joined-up way to manage information across teams, services, and communities.
About the Client
LEAP is a UK-based charity focused on improving the lives of older people across Lan## Introduction
Managing a wide range of community services is challenging enough without information spread across multiple systems. For LEAP, bringing everything together became essential to maintaining oversight as the organisation continued to grow.
About the Client
LEAP is a charitable organisation based in Lanarkshire, focused on improving the lives of older people through a range of services, including befriending, practical support, learning programmes, and community initiatives. They support over 8,500 members and clients across 18 communities, with a mix of staff and volunteers delivering services. [opencrm.co.uk], [opencrm.co.uk]
The Challenge
As LEAP expanded its services, managing information became increasingly complex.
Data was held across more than 20 separate databases as well as spreadsheets, making it difficult to maintain a clear and consistent view of activities and service users.
Different stakeholder groups often interacted with multiple services, which added further complexity. The team needed a way to bring everything into one place, ensuring that information could be accessed and shared more easily across the organisation.
Without this, reporting, coordination, and day-to-day management all required more manual effort than was sustainable.
The Solution
OpenCRM provided a central hub where information could be brought together and organised in a more structured way.
The system was tailored to reflect LEAP’s different services, with the Projects module adapted to manage tasks based on the type of work being delivered. Conditional fields ensured that only relevant information was shown, helping keep records clear and manageable.
Contacts were used to store service user details, with structured layouts to handle the wide variety of information collected.
Activities supported the coordination of services such as handyperson jobs, linking requests directly to volunteers, locations, and schedules.
Events were used to manage classes and community activities, allowing LEAP to track attendance and involvement across both volunteers and service users.
To support decision-making, a range of reports was created, giving the team visibility across different areas of the organisation.
The Outcome
With OpenCRM in place, LEAP gained better control and visibility across its operations.
- All service data brought into a single, accessible system
- Improved coordination across multiple services and teams
- Clearer view of service users, volunteers, and interactions
- More efficient tracking of activities, events, and tasks
- Better reporting to support planning and oversight
Why It Worked
The solution worked because it was adapted to match the way LEAP operates. Rather than forcing a single approach, the system was configured around their services, making it practical for day-to-day use across different teams.
Closing
For organisations managing diverse services and communities, keeping information connected is essential. In LEAP’s case, OpenCRM has provided a more coherent way to manage that complexity, helping the team stay organised while continuing to expand their impact.
