Joint Working and Mergers
The Charity Commission is keen to encourage charities to consider opportunities for joint working wherever possible. The benefits can be significant by enabling charities to work more effectively towards the fulfilment of their charitable objects. However, charities need to take care to ensure that, whatever the type of collaboration being considered, their position is adequately protected.
Case studies
- Acting for a consortium of Plymouth based charities, led by Plymouth Guild, on the most appropriate legal structure for, and in the subsequent formation of, Plymouth Third Sector Consortium. This is a significant new not-for-profit organisation which will provide a representative assembly for Third Sector organisations based in and around Plymouth and which will also provide a vehicle through which significant charity infrastructure projects can be funded and co-ordinated.
- Acting for a Devon charity whose trustees were finding it increasingly difficult to operate the charity effectively and in compliance with increased regulation. We assisted the trustees through the process of merger with a national charity. This included negotiating the terms of the transfer, obtaining the necessary consents from the Charity Commission and overseeing the subsequent dissolution of the charity.
- Acting for Victim Support Cornwall in its recent merger into the national Victim Support charity. This included advising the trustees on steps to protect its trading operations and to ensure funds raised in Cornwall continued to be ringfenced for beneficiaries in Cornwall.
- Advising a drug and alcohol services charity in its recent acquisition of the assets of a charity providing similar services.
For initial advice, please contact:
- James Evans on 01392 685243
- Anna Roderick on 01392 685367
