I thought residents who use the services of Mencap and PIP would like to see the official statement issued about the merger. We know that it has been extremely difficult for some charities to maintain their financial security and this is even more difficult given the proposed cuts to many organisations by the council. This is making organisations extremely worried and nervous and is threatening their existence in some cases.
I spoke at council about cumulative impact to organisations when both council and voluntary sector, charities are impacted. This is a good example of how organisations can try to overcome some of those impacts by collaboration. Sadly this won’t be the case for all. Cllr Yvette Hopley.
Here is the official statement:
We are writing to announce that Croydon Mencap (CM) has accepted a request from Parents in Partnership (PIP) that the two charities should merge. Please be assured that the PIP team will be supported to continue their high quality of service to families in Croydon.
The decision has not been taken lightly. For a number of years PIP has been reliant on securing funding from a variety of sources. This has become more difficult each year and in the current economic climate it has become almost impossible for a small charity like PIP to achieve financial security. The trustees of PIP have carefully examined the financial position and have considered the options available, including closure of the service by March 2021.
Therefore, we at PIP are grateful to CM for taking us under their wing. Merging with a well-respected local charity will provide greater job security for PIP staff and the highly valued services they provide. For CM, the new arrangement will enhance and expand the array of support that it is able to provide to parents, carers and families of children, young people and adults with additional needs in Croydon.
The PIP staff will provide their services from the Croydon Mencap offices in Thornton Heath as ‘Parents in Partnership @ Croydon Mencap’.
The date of the formal joining of the two charities will be announced once all legal formalities have been completed. It is expected that this will happen within the current financial year, ending on 31 March 2021.
For further information please contact Alan Avis, Chief Executive at Croydon Mencap – [email protected]
Trisha Holmes James Kiamtia-Cooper
Chairperson Parents in Partnership Chairperson Croydon Mencap
