Background
Charities and hospices hold some of the most sensitive personal data there is — on patients, families and donors — often with smaller budgets and smaller teams to defend it. St Francis Peace Hospice is no exception. Its carers spend their days out and about, using their own mobile devices to stay in touch with colleagues, families and each other.
Like many charities and hospices, the team wanted practical, plain-English guidance on staying safe on those devices. Not a generic policy document destined to sit unread in a drawer, but support carers could actually understand and use in their day-to-day work.
The Risk
It’s an easy risk to overlook. Charities and hospices are handling exactly the kind of sensitive personal data that carries real consequences for real people if it’s exposed — while typically running with smaller teams and tighter budgets than commercial organisations, leaving less capacity to defend against cyber threats.
That combination — sensitive data, limited resource — makes charities and hospices a real target, not an unlikely one. And a lot of the exposure sits in ordinary daily habits: how a carer’s phone is set up, what’s shared over WhatsApp, how devices are secured when staff are on the move. Policy documents alone don’t close that gap. Practical training for frontline staff does.
What We Did
Francis and Sheldon from Security Everywhere spent an hour with St Francis Peace Hospice’s carers group, running a hands-on session on staying safe when using mobile devices — including specific, practical guidance on securing WhatsApp, one of the team’s everyday tools for staying in contact.
The session was built around the way the carers actually work, not abstract theory: clear, usable steps for protecting the phones they carry with them every day. Lucy, the hospice’s family support coordinator, summed up the appetite for more: “They came for an hour, but goodness me, we could have talked all afternoon.”
The Result
The session left the carers group with concrete, usable steps for protecting their phones day to day, not just abstract awareness. Lucy called it “absolutely amazing” and “really, really helpful,” and the feedback from the floor matched hers — practical, relevant, and worth far more than the hour it took.
What this means for charities and small organisations:
- Charities and hospices hold sensitive personal data on patients, families and donors — data that carries real consequences for real people if it’s exposed.
- Teams are often smaller and budgets tighter than in commercial organisations, leaving less capacity to defend against cyber threats.
- That combination makes charities and hospices a real target, not an unlikely one.
- Practical, jargon-free training for frontline staff and carers closes a gap that policy documents alone never do — because it’s the everyday habits, on personal and work phones alike, that decide whether an attack succeeds.
Client Quote
“I thought I knew a little bit about cyber security, but I learned loads about how to protect my phone and specifically WhatsApp. I really didn’t know half of the options in there. So yeah, really practical session. Loved it.” — Maria, Carer, St Francis Peace Hospice
“We have been absolutely delighted today to have Francis and Sheldon here talking to our carers group about how to stay safe when using their mobile devices. And it’s been absolutely amazing. We’ve learned so much.” — Lucy, Family Support Coordinator, St Francis Peace Hospice
Want the Same for Your Charity?
If your team is juggling sensitive data with a small budget and an even smaller amount of spare time, you’re not alone — and you don’t need a technical background to close the gap. We offer charities and small organisations a free, no-obligation cyber exposure check, so you know exactly where you stand, in plain English, before deciding what — if anything — needs to change.
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