From Desktop to Cloud: How BrightPay Cloud Transformed Payroll for Connect Supply

Connect Supply is a UK-based not-for-profit organisation that provides outsourced support services to charities and small businesses. Their offering includes payroll and bookkeeping services, alongside a range of creative and technical services including branding and marketing support.

The organisation exists to relieve leaders of charities and churches from the burden of time-consuming administration tasks, allowing them to focus on delivering impact rather than managing spreadsheets or compliance. Since launching in 2017, Connect Supply has grown to support over 100 organisations, ranging from small local charities to multi-million-pound charitable networks, with a team of 12 staff.

Adrian Curtis is the founder of Connect Supply and has spent his entire career working within the charity and church sector. He is best known for pioneering Wales’ first food bank in 2008 and later leading the UK-wide expansion of the Trussell Trust food bank network, helping establish food banks in almost every community across the UK.

Having worked closely with hundreds of charities, Adrian consistently observed one recurring challenge: while organisations were passionate about their mission, many struggled with essential administrative tasks such as payroll. Connect Supply was created to address this gap by providing affordable, expert support tailored to the needs of the sector.

Why Connect Supply Chose BrightPay

Adrian began using BrightPay when he was the sole employee and has used the software ever since. As the organisation expanded and began offering payroll services to clients, BrightPay was the natural choice.

“BrightPay was the software I was personally familiar with,” Adrian explains. “It’s also an industry leader, easy to use, highly customisable and flexible enough to handle different pension schemes and payroll requirements.”

Unlike more generic payroll tools bundled into bookkeeping platforms, BrightPay’s granular control allowed Connect Supply to tailor payroll precisely to each client which is essential when working with charities and churches.

Moving to BrightPay Cloud

When Bright announced the launch of BrightPay Cloud, it immediately addressed Connect Supply’s biggest operational challenge.

“We were absolutely delighted,” says Adrian. “The cloud version meant payroll no longer had to sit with one person. Multiple team members can now work on the same employer at the same time, with everything syncing instantly.”

Connect Supply migrated to BrightPay Cloud in April 2025 and the migration process was described as simple and seamless, with all clients successfully moved over with the help of Bright’s support team.

“The Bright team were very helpful throughout the migration. Any questions we had were handled quickly, and the support we’ve received has genuinely exceeded our expectations.”

Adrian also notes that concerns around cloud downtime have proven unfounded:

“In all the time we’ve been using BrightPay Cloud, it’s never gone down. It’s far more reliable than relying on a single PC in an office.”

For Connect Supply, one of the most valuable features of BrightPay is the built-in payroll approval system, which allows them to request and receive client approvals directly within the software. This has been particularly important when working with churches and charities, where payroll contacts may not be technically confident and want a guided experience.

The ability to submit pension reports directly from BrightPay Cloud has also had a significant impact. Connect Supply regularly works with pension providers such as Nest, and being able to upload reports at the click of a button removes the need for manual exports and external uploads, saving time and reducing the chance of errors.

Reporting has become far easier and more secure in the cloud. The team can now send essential documents such as take-home pay reports and P30s directly from within BrightPay Cloud to the relevant contacts at each organisation. Each report can be individually password protected per employer, eliminating the need for separate password-protected zip files and additional manual steps, a process that Adrian describes as both time-saving and far more secure.

Automatic cloud backups have removed another layer of admin. With no need to manually save or store payroll files, the team has complete confidence that data is protected and always accessible. Combined with the ability to generate tailored analysis reports for each employer, BrightPay Cloud enables Connect Supply to deliver a professional, reliable payroll service while keeping workflows simple and consistent.

Advice for BrightPay Customers Considering the Move

Adrian has clear advice for BrightPay customers still using the desktop version:

“Moving to the cloud really is a no-brainer. It’s easier, more secure, and far more efficient — especially if more than one person is involved in payroll.”

He adds that clients were very comfortable with the change and experienced no disruption:

“Our customers have been very happy with the move. The system is intuitive, secure and simply works.”

For Connect Supply, BrightPay Cloud has enabled scalability, collaboration and peace of mind, all while continuing to deliver a high-quality payroll service to charities and churches across the UK.

“It does everything we need it to do,” Adrian concludes. “And it’s made our payroll service stronger as a result.”