This case study explores how the East Anglian Air Ambulance team partnered with Bee Ethical to strengthen their fundraising, modernise their lottery operations, and create a more reliable, supporter-friendly experience. It highlights the challenges they were facing, the solutions introduced through our technology and support, and the measurable impact delivered as a result. Through this real-world example, you’ll see how streamlined systems, clear insight, and consistent supporter journeys can unlock growth for organisations across the sector.
East Anglian Air Ambulance (EAAA) has been running its lottery for over 20 years – It was one of the charity’s first fundraising tools – and it continues to be a significant source of income for the charity today.
For the last decade, the lottery had been managed in-house using a legacy system. But as technology and supporter expectations have evolved, the system had begun to fall behind.
• The existing system couldn’t meet their data protection standards – security was becoming a growing risk, and the platform didn’t offer the control or safeguards needed to stay compliant long term
• The lottery platform couldn’t connect to their CRM (Microsoft Dynamics 365), so supporter data had to be moved manually between systems – making it harder to keep records accurate and up to date, and increasing responsibility on individuals within the team. The bigger the lottery got, the more data was being moved and processed, and the higher the responsibility
• Updates had to be made in two separate databases – wasting time through creating duplication and adding extra risk, because the team had to manually ensure nothing was missed or inconsistent
• New player sign-ups through the EAAA website had to be manually uploaded to the lottery management system
• Running reports meant everyone had to physically log out of the lottery system – interrupting the whole team’s workflow
• The system had previously crashed during key tasks – the team worked with the system, knowing that this was a potential risk
• Staff were juggling spreadsheets to keep things up to date – adding pressure and making it hard to trust the data
• The platform was difficult to access and manage smoothly – especially during processes like imports and exports
• The system was hosted on an in-house server – adding cost, ongoing maintenance, and the risk of downtime if anything went wrong
What EAAA’s team needed
EAAA had recently invested in Microsoft Dynamics 365 to better manage supporter relationships. But without a platform that could connect to it, the benefits of the new CRM were being held back.
• A secure, cloud-based lottery system
• Full integration with Dynamics 365
• A software-only setup that their in-house team could continue to manage
• A provider who understood both the operational realities of running a lottery and the technical needs of a modern charity
Who led the project
The move was led internally by Simon Judd (Head of Individual Giving and Supporter Engagement), Tracey Travis (Membership Team Manager), and Rob Chetwood (Head of Insight, Information & Technology), working closely with their colleagues across supporter engagement, IT, and operations, as well as with Bee Ethical’s team.
• The Bee Ethical team met with EAAA’s IT leads early in the process. The EAAA team appreciated meeting multiple developers, which gave them confidence that Bee Ethical had the technical depth and capacity to support the project properly, powered by its advanced lottery software solution, ComBee
• A collaborative discovery session with the web development team helped map out the system flows and identify any integration gaps from the start
• There was full transparency around how data would be managed, which fields would be synced into Dynamics, and what the process would look like
• Bee Ethical showed flexibility during the planning phase and worked with the team to adapt as things evolved
• The Bee Ethical team didn’t just accept every brief at face value – they constructively challenged areas like data flows and system dependencies, which helped the EAAA team ask better questions and refine their requirements. This gave the team added confidence that the system would stand up to real-world use
• They didn’t feel like they were being “sold to” – the conversations were honest and constructive throughout
• After reviewing providers for over two years, EAAA found Bee Ethical to be the right balance – big enough to deliver, small enough to partner
• The agreed contract offered stability and space to plan longer-term, as well as a price which suited the budget, and justified the investment when balanced alongside the scope of the project.
At the time of publishing, the new system has just gone live. However, looking at the implementation process – this was smooth, clear, and collaborative.
What helped?:
• A discovery session to map out workflows and data connections
• Regular catch-ups every two weeks to keep the project on track
• Space to manage their own data housekeeping, with Bee Ethical on hand to help
• Flexibility when changes or challenges came up
“The teams’s been really happy with how the set-up’s gone. We’ve had the right support, and it’s been a very practical, collaborative process.”
Simon Judd, Head of Individual Giving and Supporter Engagement
Technical flexibility
ComBee integrates with other internal systems at EAAA, including Finance and Analytics. It allows the team to choose which data fields are pulled into Dynamics, keeping their CRM clean and relevant.
The platform also links to their Direct Debit setup and website tools, and they’re exploring how Bee Ethical’s tablet-based sign-up system could support their own face-to-face activity.
What EAAA is looking forward to now
Now that the platform is live, the EAAA team is excited about what it will make possible. Some of the key benefits they’re expecting to see include:
• Less time spent on admin and reconciliation – freeing up capacity to focus on supporter relationships
• A clearer view of supporter journeys – with CRM and lottery data finally working together
• More reliable data and better reporting – enabling smarter decisions
• Time to focus on acquisition and retention – which they know will help grow their lottery and increase lifetime value
• A more modern and efficient experience for both supporters and staff
• Greater confidence in compliance and security – thanks to better access control and integration with their existing infrastructure
• Future potential for automation and improved retention
• Resources freed up across teams – giving the charity the space to move forward on other goals across the organisation at a pace that works for everyone.
Bee Ethical is continuing to support the team through the early stages of live use, and a follow-up will explore the results and outcomes in more detail once the platform has had time to bed in.
Could ComBee help your lottery run better?
If your current system is holding you back – whether it’s outdated software, poor integration, or time-consuming processes – we’d love to show you how ComBee could help.
Our ComBee software is now supporting over 50 charities and their lotteries and raising nearly £2.5million a month (£30million a year).
ComBee is a cloud-based platform built for charities that want to run their lottery in-house with less effort and more control. It’s designed to streamline day-to-day admin, reduce risk, and give you the insights and tools you need to grow.
With ComBee, you can:
• Save time by removing manual processes and syncing data automatically with your CRM
• New player data logged on your website automatically added to ComBee – no manual entry and therefore more time saved and data risks reduced
• Improve supporter experience with real-time account access and flexible payment options, which include recurring Apple Pay and Google Pay payments
• Reduce compliance risks with secure login, audit logs, and age/address validation built in
• Increase efficiency with simple, structured draw management and offline payment imports
• Build better engagement using automated communications and customisable contact preferences
• Get clearer insights through dashboards, visual reports, and trend tracking tools
• Plan for growth with tools that support acquisition, retention, improved ROI, and supporter journey visibility
• Feel supported by a hands-on team and technical help when you need it
• Future-proof the management and administration of your lottery.
Whether you’re launching a new lottery or modernising an existing one, ComBee gives you the infrastructure and flexibility to run it your way.
Thinking of switching platforms? Whether you’re feeling held back by your current system or dreaming of something future-ready, we’d love to help.
✅ No pushy sales.
✅ Just clear answers and real support.
✅ And a chance to explore how ComBee could work for you.
👉 Book here for a FREE consultation or get in touch to start the conversation – Email us here: combee@bee-ethical.com
Combee is in association with Bloom Software, licensed by the Gambling Commission to produce lottery software. Part of the Bee Ethical group.