# Access Group helps Covid-19 support groups with free CRM software

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2020/04/17/access-group-helps-covid-19-support-groups-with-free-crm-software/
- Published: 2020-04-17T08:57:49+01:00
- Author: Melanie May

**The Access Group is helping local community groups helping those affected by Covid-
19 by providing its new CRM system Access NFP CRM free of charge.**

 

 

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Two groups have been set up so far: LoughboroughAgainstCorona and OxfordAgainstCorona.
Both are local divisions of the global [StudentsAgainstCorona](http://studentsagainstcorona.co.uk/)
movement. The movement sees students and other community volunteers working together
to help those adversely affected by Covid-19, through actions such as delivering
food parcels and prescriptions to vulnerable and self-isolating persons.

 

 

 

[The Access Group](https://www.theaccessgroup.com/not-for-profit/) is now looking
at providing the CRM, which is designed for smaller charities and not-for-profit
organisations and enables scalable tools to be created centrally, and then deployed
to local hubs, to the other 21 #againstcorona community groups throughout the UK.

 

 

 

Simon Baines, Managing Director, Not for Profit and Education at The Access Group,
said:

 

 

 

> “We first started working with LoughboroughAgainstCorona as the group is based
> on the same campus as our HQ, and we wanted to provide support to our local community.
> We’re thrilled that this support is now expanding to include other branches of
> the movement. “These groups are a perfect example of volunteers working together
> to provide frontline support and help to those in need during the challenges presented
> by Covid-19.”

 

 

 

The LoughboroughAgainstCorona group currently has over 800 volunteers and the OxfordAgainstCorona
group has over 300 volunteers.  Between them, both groups have carried out nearly
1,000 requests, including collecting prescriptions and delivering shopping, making
referrals to the correct services and working with care homes and hospitals, providing
them with their amazing volunteers.

 

 

 

Previously, both groups were manually creating multiple Excel spreadsheets to track
the details of volunteers, requests for help and available resources.  With this
information now hosted in the cloud-based CRM system, the groups have one central
database each with CRM functionality that enables them to store, match and allocate
requests for help against their volunteers and available resources quickly and easily.
The CRM also enables both groups to track and manage operational tasks, such as 
safeguarding protocols.

 

 

 

Kokulan Mahendiran, head of the OxfordAgainstCorona branch, said:

 

 

 

> “The Access Group’s CRM has made a real difference in our day-to-day work by substantially
> streamlining operations and allowing us to dedicate more of our time to helping
> out vulnerable and isolated individuals in our community. Even allowing our volunteers
> to spend a few more minutes speaking to isolated individuals coping with loneliness
> makes a very real difference in their lives.”

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