The health and social care charity Humankind has taken on the Devon-based drug and alcohol charity EDP as a subsidiary as part of a £60m merger.
The merger, which went through yesterday, has come after a number of years of collaboration between the two organisations and will seek to increase the impact of both charities and improve the services offered, a spokeswoman said.
EDP would retain most of its processes, systems and branding as part of the merger, the spokeswoman said, although it would be a subsidiary part of the wider Humankind group.
The merger is Humankind’s second in the past two years, the organisation having completed a merger with the London-based drug and alcohol charity Blenheim CDP in April 2019.
Humankind, which operates mostly in the north of England, and EDP employ approximately 1,400 staff combined. No job losses are expected in the short term as a result of the merger, the spokeswoman said.
The two charities have a combined income of about £60m a year, the spokeswoman said, and would benefit from shared back-office functions over the long term.
No changes are expected in the management of EDP or to the buildings from which it runs services, the spokeswoman said, and EDP’s board will report into Humankind’s.
Two members of EDP’s board will join Humankind as trustees, she added.
Paul Townsley, chief executive of Humankind, said: “Humankind and EDP have worked collaboratively for several years and recognised that they could have a greater impact for service users by bringing together aspects of their learning, development and resources.
“By joining, we will become more sustainable and stronger to deal with the multiple challenges that face our sector. Most importantly, together we share an important and fundamental belief: that service users sit at the heart of everything they do.”
Penny Blackmore, chief executive of EDP, said: “Despite these unsettling times, today is an exciting day in EDP’s 36-year history.
“We have built up an unparalleled reputation in the drug and alcohol treatment sector in the south west and we are now proud to continue providing an exceptional level of service to our clients, but as part of a wider pioneering health and social care organisation that has really similar values at its heart.”