Mergers and collaboration - key issues explored

In January, the Building Change Trust, NICVA and CO3 brought together 27 representatives of the sector to discuss mergers and collaboration and their future potential in the sector. Held under the Chatham House Rule, there was an excellent discussion and key recommendations for the Trust and others

Mergers and collaboration are increasingly being mooted as an obvious response of the community and voluntary sector as one action to deal with the challenges of change especially in respect of funding reduction and local government reorganisation. Some look to private sector business models and see easy transferability to community and voluntary organisations.

This seminar with a range of sector stakeholders was useful in that it sought to enable people in a safe environment share their experience and knowledge of mergers and collaboration along with the challenges and explore with others what needs to be done to enable the sector to respond effectively to the issue.

A shortened version of the discussion and recommendations emerging from the event is available here.

http://www.buildingchangetrust.org/download/1/Report%20%20on%20mergers%20and%20collaboration%20270110.pdf

The Trust will be considering these in its formulation of strategy and future actions to support the sector and expects that others will find it interesting and useful.