Calums Cabin
About Calum's Cabin
Calum's Cabin is a cherished charity based on the Isle of Bute, Scotland, offering holiday experiences for families across the UK with children facing cancer. Inspired by 11-year-old Calum, who was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumour, his dream was to create a sanctuary for families to make memories together. Since its founding, Calum's Cabin has provided holidays for up to 17 families each week, giving them much-needed respite during incredibly challenging times.
The Challenge: A Time-Intensive, Manual Process
Before Salesforce, Calum's Cabin relied on paper-based applications, spreadsheets, and an outdated Access database to manage holiday bookings.
This manual process was slow, fragmented, and error-prone-making it difficult to track bookings and support families efficiently. Families had to send applications by post, which delayed the process further, and staff depended on information stored in founder Caroline's head, paper planners on walls, rather than a centralised system.
"Everything was paper-based at Calums Cabin, it was really holding us back from doing more of the impactfuyl work we wanted to do.
We had spreadsheets, Access databases, and forms arriving in the post.
It could take days or weeks to process a single booking, delaying much-needed holidays for families."
- Francesca, Booking Coordinator
Pain Points
Calum's Cabin faced overwhelming inefficiencies due to manual processes, making it difficult to provide families with the respite they desperately needed. The reliance on outdated systems and paper-based applications created delays, added stress, and limited the number of families they could support.
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Slow, paper-based admin
Families had to send applications and confirmations by post, delaying bookings.
Manual data entry across multiple spreadsheets increased the risk of errors.
Staff spent hours processing each booking, slowing down their ability to help families.
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Lack of a centralised system
The Access database was outdated, making it hard to track bookings.
Booking information was scattered across paper calendars, emails, and memory.
No real-time visibility on cancellations or waiting lists to reallocate bookings quickly.
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Scaling was difficult
Any staff absence caused major disruption, as processes weren't documented centrally.
Rebooking cancellations took too long, meaning lost opportunities for families in need.
The charity struggled to keep up with growing demand for holidays.
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Working from anywhere was impossible
- The team had to be in the office to be able to ensure they could do their bookings.
- Audits were time consuming and a in-person task.
- The team couldn't work remotely to increase productivity when at locations or on the move.
- The team had to be in the office to be able to ensure they could do their bookings.
The Solution: A Fully Automated System
Hyphen8 set to work creating a system that would eliminate manual admin, centralise bookings, and speed up the rebooking process. By implementing Salesforce, Calum's Cabin was able to replace 20+ spreadsheets, paper applications, and emails with a seamless, automated platform that handles everything in one place.
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A centralised booking platform
All applications, bookings, and cancellations now managed through Salesforce.
Families submit online applications, reducing delays caused by post.
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Automated processes for efficiency
Instant confirmation emails sent to families upon approval.
Real-time calendar views help manage and track bookings effortlessly.
Automatic rebooking of cancelled slots, ensuring no holiday homes go unused.
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Smarter workflows for a better experience
- Staff can approve applications in minutes, not days.
Waiting lists are automatically updated, helping more families access holidays.
Fundraising management tools integrated to track donations and support growth.
Meet Calums Cabin
Hear more about the impact of Salesforce and Hyphen8 from the amazing team at Calums Cabin.
We have loved working with them, and our Founder Elaine has done a huge amount of volunteering with them too!
The Impact of working with Hyphen8
The Impact
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A system built for growth
The charity can now handle high demand without stress, ensuring every child has a chance to experience a break.
Custom reporting and dashboards provide real-time insights into bookings, fundraising, and family needs.
The scalable system means Calum's Cabin can continue expanding its impact without increasing administrative burdens.
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One single system and source of truth
One system replacing 20+ tools, spreadsheets, and emails, reducing complexity for staff.
All data is in one place, enabling better reporting, planning, and decision-making.
The team can now instantly share reports for funding proposals and board meetings, saving hours.
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More families supported than ever
- With applications processed faster, more families can enjoy a much-needed holiday.
Cancellations are rebooked automatically, ensuring no holiday home is left unused.
The efficiency of Salesforce has enabled Calum's Cabin to help 6% more families than last year.
- With applications processed faster, more families can enjoy a much-needed holiday.
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Enhanced donor and supporter engagement
Salesforce fundraising tools help track donations, increasing fundraising as a small team this has been so helpful.
The team can engage more efficiently with supporters and donors, strengthening relationships.
Custom-built automations simplify gift tracking and donor communications, ensuring no supporter is overlooked.
By streamlining processes and eliminating inefficiencies, Salesforce has empowered Calum's Cabin to operate at a whole new level. Families now receive faster support, more holidays are allocated, and the team can focus on delivering meaningful experiences rather than being bogged down by admin.
Since moving to Salesforce, Calum's Cabin has dramatically improved efficiency, ensuring more families get the holidays they need without unnecessary delays. The team now spends less time on admin and more time supporting families. The transformation has allowed them to scale their impact, improve communication, and expand their reach, ultimately bringing hope and relief to even more children battling cancer.
Making an impact
"Before Salesforce, we used to joke that one day, because of our paper system, four families might turn up at the same holiday home. That never happened, but it could have!
Thanks to Hyphen8, we now have a system that ensures everything runs smoothly, saving me 90 days a year in admin."
- Francesca, Booking Coordinator
Why Did You Choose Salesforce and Hyphen8?
We needed a system that could grow with us, streamline our processes, and allow us to support more families efficiently. Hyphen8 stood out because they truly understood the needs of charities like ours.
Their expertise and hands-on approach made the transition seamless, and Salesforce has given us the flexibility to scale and adapt as we continue to expand our impact."
- Caroline, Founder of Calum's Cabin
Advice for other charities
"If you're a charity struggling with manual processes, don't wait to make a change. Moving to Salesforce transformed how we operate, freeing up time to focus on families rather than paperwork. Hyphen8 understands the nonprofit space and can tailor a system that fits your needs perfectly. Investing in the right technology means investing in the future of your mission."
- Caroline, Founder of Calum's Cabin
