Community
Centre
Wi-Fi
Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust Expands with Networking Upgrade
Background
The Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust is a well established organisation dedicated to supporting 13–30 year olds from disadvantaged backgrounds, helping individuals achieve their career ambitions regardless of circumstance.
The Trust owns and operates The Stephen Lawrence Centre in South London. Originally built in 2008, the building was redesigned in 2017 by world renowned architects Gensler, introducing a modern coworking hub known as Your Space. The centre now supports multiple users, tenants and community initiatives under one roof, placing increased demand on the building’s IT and Wi‑Fi infrastructure.
The Challenge
As a non profit organisation, the Trust did not have a dedicated internal IT team to design or manage a secure wireless network. Day‑to‑day IT issues were handled by a part time volunteer, limiting the organisation’s ability to scale its technology effectively. At the time, the building relied on a single router and a basic Wi‑Fi extender to reach other areas of the centre.
This setup proved unreliable and unsuitable for a growing, shared workspace. Poor Wi‑Fi performance restricted productivity and prevented the Trust from safely supporting multiple independent businesses and users on the same network.
A robust, scalable and centrally managed Wi‑Fi solution was required to support the centre’s long term growth.
The Solution
The Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust approached Vibrant Networks for expert guidance on designing a reliable wireless network. We recommended a Zyxel Nebula cloud‑managed Wi‑Fi solution, incorporating:
- Cloud managed wireless access points
- Managed network switches
- Centralised visibility and control via the Nebula platform
As part of a pro bono redevelopment project, Zyxel donated the required equipment, allowing the Trust to benefit from enterprise grade Wi‑Fi infrastructure without diverting vital funding away from its charitable work.
The cloud managed approach provided the Trust with a future proof solution that could be easily managed without an in house IT team.
The Benefits
The new cloud managed Wi‑Fi solution delivered immediate and long term improvements, including:
- Fast, stable wireless connectivity throughout the building
- Support for up to 70 users per week, including tenants and visitors
- No downtime or loss of connection, even during peak usage
- Simplified network management without the need for specialist IT resources
The improved Wi‑Fi infrastructure now supports the Trust’s mission, enabling collaboration, productivity and growth within the centre.
To download the Zyxel case study please click here.
Talk to Vibrant Networks
With over 20 years’ experience, Vibrant Networks designs and delivers secure, scalable Wi‑Fi and network solutions for charities, SMEs and larger organisations across Walsall, the West Midlands and the UK. If you require any help planning your network or designing your Wi-Fi Solution please feel free to
contact us
or call us for a consultation on
(01922) 612387.
“Operationally, co-working is now fundamental to what we do here. Thanks to that extra revenue, the trust broke even on our building costs this year for the first time, meaning we’re able to put more Wi-Fi network, it was faced with a growing concern: the need for faster, wider and more secure network coverage. “Previously, we only had Wi-Fi for staff, which constantly broke down and only had signal in certain areas of the building. So, we knew that to transform our new centre into a co-working space, we needed a faster, more stable network. Since installing the Zyxel Nebula system our Wi-Fi is stronger and faster, and we have been able to take on tenants who can use our centre as their office. The operation of Your Space required fast Wi-Fi network throughout the whole building to support multiple users and enterprises. money back into the work we do with disadvantaged young people – and we haven’t had to pick up the phone to IT support once,”
-Chelsea Way, Programmes Manager at Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust.
“Previously, we only had Wi-Fi for staff, which constantly broke down and only had signal in certain areas of the building. So, we knew that to transform our new centre into a co-working space, we needed a faster, more stable network. Since installing the Zyxel Nebula system our Wi-Fi is stronger and faster, and we have been able to take on tenants who can use our centre as their office.”
The Tech
“Operationally, co-working is now fundamental to what we do here. Thanks to that extra revenue, the trust broke even on our building costs this year for the first time, meaning we’re able to put more money back into the work we do with disadvantaged young people – and we haven’t had
to pick up the phone to IT support once."
Chelsea Way, Programmes Manager,
Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust
