Automotive software consultants, Cooper Solutions, are working with Safeline, the sexual abuse prevention charity, to digitalise its client management system.

As part of the relationship Cooper Solutions has hosted a software hackathon, to harness technology for the benefit of Safeline. The event also aimed to raise awareness of Safeline under the goals of Cooper Solutions’ Corporate & Social Responsibility (CSR) programme.

Ben Felt, Cooper Solutions Development Manager, explains, “Writing free software, known as ‘open source’, isn’t a new idea, but I think it’s significant that software professionals are pulling together and donating their time and expertise to tackle social issues that affect our community.“The Midlands is blessed with a lot of technical talent and if the “charity hackathon” trend were to spread, we could have a real impact on society. Donations are always important but sometimes it’s just a matter of figuring out how to put your talents to use.”

Neil Henderson, CEO of Safeline, comments, “Working with Cooper Solutions has helped us transform the way the charity works. Currently, we have a manual data capture and reporting system. There are gaps in the data we need and reporting is cumbersome and labour intensive. This project will generate detailed, real-time information that will enable us to manage all aspects of the charity in a really efficient and effective way. As a result of this partnership and collaboration, we will be able to focus on protecting and supporting even more people affected by abuse.”