Age charities consult over merger – it must be spring

Life always looks better when the first Swallows return and start nesting. It marks the start of a great time of the year. Help the Aged and Age Concern discuss the possibilities of merging with the same regularity. These machinations are not so appealing.

No doubt there will be numerous meetings, PowerPoint by the bucket load and lots of dosh for consultants and accountants.

This time it looks like it really will happen. According to ThirdSector (you will have to complete the free sign-up to read the article)

The charities are also starting the final stages of the due-diligence process and have said they will also consider starting the process to appoint a new chair and board.

“Spending time and energy operating separately no longer makes sense,” said Catherine McLoughlin, chair of Age Concern England. “Instead, we intend to pool our talents and resources to ensure older people’s needs receive the even greater focus they deserve.”

Jo Connell, chair of Help the Aged, said there had “never been a greater need for such an organisation”.

“The demands of an ageing society mean that this in-principle decision – which has been taken collaboratively and in partnership – is the right one for older people today and tomorrow.”

A final decision over whether the organisations will merge will be taken in September.

Why will it be different this year? Forget the rationalization about ageing population etc it is all to do with the Age Concern’s Heyday disaster.

I am not going to bore you with the details (search the blog for lots of posts). The sorry tale gets even sorrier. I have just learnt that the guy who was involved in the first Heyday business plan, left the charity with a £815,000 payment.

The more I look at this mess the more disgusted I become. Dick Stroud. PS - If you are a branding consultancy I would contact the these companies because as sure as eggs are eggs they will be spending a pile on the new brand identity.