Bringing Hope, Birmingham
Paxton’s Net2 Access Control Strengthens Safeguarding and Simplifies Access for Birmingham Charity
Bringing Hope is a Birmingham-based charity dedicated to supporting vulnerable communities and individuals across the city. Their work spans a range of services including family support, offender rehabilitation, community integration programmes, and education initiatives. The organisation was featured on the BBC, highlighting its impactful role within the local community. Operating from a busy multi-use facility, Bringing Hope shares its premises with a nursery and other partner organisations.
To enhance building security and streamline access for staff, volunteers, and visitors, Bringing Hope partnered with ID Security Systems, a Birmingham-based specialist in integrated electronic security solutions. With over 30 years of experience in the industry, they recommended Paxton’s Net2 access control system as a reliable, future-proof solution tailored to the charity’s safeguarding and operational needs.
Requirement
Bringing Hope needed an access control system that could improve security, support their safeguarding responsibilities, and adapt to their evolving needs. Following a network upgrade, the team sought a modern solution that was easy to use and provided better visibility of movement throughout their premises. Key requirements included:
- Managing different user access levels for staff, volunteers, clients, professionals, and tradespeople, including weekend-specific access
- Protect service users with lockdown functionality and controlled building flow.
- Ensure secure, zoned access across multiple doors and floors, with future plans to extend control to the lift
- Automate out-of-hours restrictions using timezones to reduce manual intervention.
- Enable quick and simple deactivation of lost or unreturned fobs to maintain system integrity
- Provide an intuitive, user-friendly interface that works for non-technical staff while offering full oversight of building occupancy
Net2 works really-well for us for what we require. After we upgraded our network, Paxton’s system helped us become more fit for purpose in the new world we are in.
Bishop Robin Thompson
Executive Director of Bringing Hope
Solution
After carefully assessing the needs of the site, ID Security Systems recommended and installed Paxton’s Net2 access control across six key doors within the Bringing Hope facility. With multiple users, varied access requirements, and a mix of staff, volunteers, and service users on-site, the functionality with Net2 proved to be an ideal fit.
Net2’s intuitive software interface was especially valuable to the security systems manager. “I’m not very tech-savvy,” said Bishop Robin Thompson, Executive Director of Bringing Hope, said: “I’m not very tech-savvy, but Net2 is so easy to use. It didn’t take long to learn at all, and I now have a clear overview of who is where and when in the building.”
The system allows administrators to define access levels based on roles—granting staff, professionals, and weekend volunteers access to only the areas they need. Timezones are used to automatically lock areas after hours and assign limited-time access to tradespeople, reducing administrative effort and improving security.
Lockdown capability provides peace of mind, particularly in an environment supporting vulnerable individuals. Bishop Robin Thompson explained, “The lockdown feature is particularly useful in our environment due to the vulnerable people we work with and some of the horrible things we know happen in the world.”
Here’s the quote again for reference:
“Net2 works really-well for us for what we require. After we upgraded our network, Paxton’s system helped us become more fit for purpose in the new world we are in.”
Result
Since installing Paxton’s Net2 system, Bringing Hope has enhanced security across six doors, managing over 35 users with ease and confidence.
The charity benefits from streamlined user management—including swift cancellation of lost or unreturned fobs—and automated control of access through timezones, which reduces administrative overhead and increases site safety.
The lockdown feature offers critical protection tailored to an environment supporting vulnerable people, while real-time monitoring gives staff clear visibility of occupancy and movement within the building.
Looking ahead, the planned expansion of Net2 access control to the building’s lift will further improve traffic flow and reinforce separation between Bringing Hope and other onsite organisations.
“Net2 works really well for us for what we require,” said Bishop Robin Thompson, Executive Director of Bringing Hope. “After we upgraded our network, Paxton’s system helped us become more fit for purpose in the new world we are in.”
Location:
Birmingham, UK
Type of site:
Charity
Number of users/doors:
- 10 doors
- 50 + users
Products:
- Net2 access control software – Offers intuitive system management with role-based permissions, timezones, and lockdown features.
- Net2 readers and fobs – Provide secure, contactless entry for over 35 users, with easy administration and rapid deactivation of lost credentials.
- Entry panels with intercom functionality – Enable staff to verify visitors at the main entrance, enhancing front-of-house security.
- Net2 Plus controllers – Form the backbone of the system, seamlessly connecting readers to the network for real-time control and reporting.
- Paxton Installer App – Supported the streamlined setup and configuration by ID Security Systems, speeding up deployment and ensuring consistent installation standards.
