Four organisations which play a vital role in providing and supporting community and voluntary services across the county today announced their intention to merge by forming a new organisation. It will be called Community Impact Bucks.
For many years, the four organisations have been working together as partners in the Voluntary Impact Bucks consortium of charities that provide comprehensive support services to voluntary and community groups and to rural organisations throughout Buckinghamshire and surrounding areas.
The work of Voluntary Impact Bucks has been funded through a contract awarded jointly by the County and District Councils while the individual organisations raise funds for their work from many other sources.
The consortium has delivered on all its ambitious goals and this success encouraged trustees to investigate the options for closer collaboration and greater impact.
A steering group, with representatives from each partner, has been working since July to consider the benefits and feasibility of bringing the four of them together. Their work led to a merger proposal which has now been considered and agreed by the Board of each partner organisation.
The Boards concluded that the proposal represents the best option to benefit the voluntary and community sector in Buckinghamshire. They are confident that the merger provides the best way to achieve three main goals:
• Improved sustainability and viability for the projects and services that they currently provide
• Strong local links and enhanced capability to serve all local communities
• New, effective and innovative approaches to service delivery.
There is much more work to be done to bring Community Impact Bucks into being. This will be managed by a small county-wide task group led by Mike Coote, the Chair of Voluntary Action (Chiltern and South Bucks).
Before finalising decisions on a number of key issues such as the appointment of the Chair, trustees and senior managers the group will listen to the views of all those who may be affected by the change. The group will also consider the implications for existing staff, volunteers, projects and service delivery.
Further information about the proposed developments can be obtained from:
The Priory Centre – Andrew Long, 01494 523440, thepriorycentre@googlemail.com
Vale Volunteers – Val Lawson, 01296 337456, chiefofficer@valevolunteers.org.uk
Voluntary Action (Chiltern and South Bucks) – Diane Rutter, 01895 837545, diane@voluntaryaction.org
Buckinghamshire Community Action – Michael Hunt, 01296 421036, michael@bucks-comm-action.org.uk
16 July 2009
Joint Statement on Governance Options
Voluntary Impact Bucks is considering important steps in its evolution following several successful years of joint consortium service delivery.
Voluntary Impact Bucks is a consortium of infrastructure charities providing support, information and advice services to voluntary and community groups in Buckinghamshire. The consortium partners are Vale Volunteers, The Priory Centre, Voluntary Action (South Bucks and Chiltern) and Buckinghamshire Community Action. In 2007 Voluntary Impact Bucks successfully won the contract led jointly by the County and District Councils to deliver a comprehensive support service to the voluntary and community sector.
After much work over recent months and following a meeting of the Trustees of all Voluntary Impact Bucks members on 16 July 2009 it has been decided to recommend the merger of the four separate organisations with effect from April 2010.
The Trustees came to this view on the basis of a detailed report setting out governance and organisational structure options for the future development of Voluntary Impact Bucks. Central to the Trustees recommendation was a conclusion that merger was the best way to achieve three key outcomes.
• Improving the sustainability and viability of the projects and services provided within the Voluntary Impact Bucks organisations.
• Retaining local links and enhancing the capability to serve all local communities.
• Enabling new, effective and innovative approaches to service delivery.
Over the next few months detailed and comprehensive investigation of the merger proposal will take place. The Boards of the separate organisations within Voluntary Impact Bucks will consider a full proposal for merger in the Autumn of 2009.
Further information about the proposed developments can be obtained from:
The Priory Centre – Andrew Long, 01494 523440, thepriorycentre@googlemail.com
Vale Volunteers – Val Lawson, 01296 337456, chiefofficer@valevolunteers.org.uk
Voluntary Action (Chiltern and South Bucks) – Diane Rutter, 01895 837545, diane@voluntaryaction.org
Buckinghamshire Community Action – Michael Hunt, 01296 421036, michael@bucks-comm-action.org.uk
Andrew
Leading Bucks charities to merge
Four organisations which play a vital role in providing and supporting community and voluntary services across the county today announced their intention to merge by forming a new organisation. It will be called Community Impact Bucks.
For many years, the four organisations have been working together as partners in the Voluntary Impact Bucks consortium of charities that provide comprehensive support services to voluntary and community groups and to rural organisations throughout Buckinghamshire and surrounding areas.
The work of Voluntary Impact Bucks has been funded through a contract awarded jointly by the County and District Councils while the individual organisations raise funds for their work from many other sources.
The consortium has delivered on all its ambitious goals and this success encouraged trustees to investigate the options for closer collaboration and greater impact.
A steering group, with representatives from each partner, has been working since July to consider the benefits and feasibility of bringing the four of them together. Their work led to a merger proposal which has now been considered and agreed by the Board of each partner organisation.
The Boards concluded that the proposal represents the best option to benefit the voluntary and community sector in Buckinghamshire. They are confident that the merger provides the best way to achieve three main goals:
• Improved sustainability and viability for the projects and services that they currently provide • Strong local links and enhanced capability to serve all local communities • New, effective and innovative approaches to service delivery.
There is much more work to be done to bring Community Impact Bucks into being. This will be managed by a small county-wide task group led by Mike Coote, the Chair of Voluntary Action (Chiltern and South Bucks).
Before finalising decisions on a number of key issues such as the appointment of the Chair, trustees and senior managers the group will listen to the views of all those who may be affected by the change. The group will also consider the implications for existing staff, volunteers, projects and service delivery.
Further information about the proposed developments can be obtained from:
The Priory Centre – Andrew Long, 01494 523440, thepriorycentre@googlemail.com Vale Volunteers – Val Lawson, 01296 337456, chiefofficer@valevolunteers.org.uk Voluntary Action (Chiltern and South Bucks) – Diane Rutter, 01895 837545, diane@voluntaryaction.org Buckinghamshire Community Action – Michael Hunt, 01296 421036, michael@bucks-comm-action.org.uk
Andrew
16 July 2009 Joint Statement on Governance Options
Voluntary Impact Bucks is considering important steps in its evolution following several successful years of joint consortium service delivery.
Voluntary Impact Bucks is a consortium of infrastructure charities providing support, information and advice services to voluntary and community groups in Buckinghamshire. The consortium partners are Vale Volunteers, The Priory Centre, Voluntary Action (South Bucks and Chiltern) and Buckinghamshire Community Action. In 2007 Voluntary Impact Bucks successfully won the contract led jointly by the County and District Councils to deliver a comprehensive support service to the voluntary and community sector.
After much work over recent months and following a meeting of the Trustees of all Voluntary Impact Bucks members on 16 July 2009 it has been decided to recommend the merger of the four separate organisations with effect from April 2010.
The Trustees came to this view on the basis of a detailed report setting out governance and organisational structure options for the future development of Voluntary Impact Bucks. Central to the Trustees recommendation was a conclusion that merger was the best way to achieve three key outcomes.
• Improving the sustainability and viability of the projects and services provided within the Voluntary Impact Bucks organisations. • Retaining local links and enhancing the capability to serve all local communities. • Enabling new, effective and innovative approaches to service delivery.
Over the next few months detailed and comprehensive investigation of the merger proposal will take place. The Boards of the separate organisations within Voluntary Impact Bucks will consider a full proposal for merger in the Autumn of 2009.
Further information about the proposed developments can be obtained from:
The Priory Centre – Andrew Long, 01494 523440, thepriorycentre@googlemail.com
Vale Volunteers – Val Lawson, 01296 337456, chiefofficer@valevolunteers.org.uk
Voluntary Action (Chiltern and South Bucks) – Diane Rutter, 01895 837545, diane@voluntaryaction.org
Buckinghamshire Community Action – Michael Hunt, 01296 421036, michael@bucks-comm-action.org.uk