Twenty-five of the 332 local Age Concern branches have so far agreed to join forces with the new merged Age UK national charity, and take on the Age UK name.
Age UK, which was formed from the merger of Age Concern England and Help the Aged on 1 April 2009, wrote to all the local Age Concern branches this month to invite them to consider becoming formal partners of the new national charity.
Those that choose to do so will change their name to Age UK Anytown, sharing the Age UK brand and ensuring that older people in their area can access Age UK products and services. However, each local Age Concern will continue to be an independent charity whether or not it chooses to become a local Age UK.
Stephanie Harland, People and Operations Director at Age UK described the response to date from local branches as “fantastic”.
“Some Age Concerns have been telling us for a while that they would like to be with us on the launch day, so we opened up a fast-track process for those who were keen to do so.
“We are delighted to have so many on board at this early stage and to have received firm confirmation of interest from several more.
“No Age Concern has told us that they do not want to sign up. We expect all Age Concerns to make a decision over the course of the next year.”
Harland added that smaller Age Concern branches may opt for a less formal partnership, whereby they will continue their work for older people in their community but not deliver all of the activities associated with the new brand. “They will have a strong relationship with their local Age UK partner as well as with the national organisation,” she said.
Age UK also works in partnership with the independent national charities in the devolved regions that were formed by the mergers of Age Concern and Help the Aged in each of those nations. Age Scotland, Age Cymru and Age NI all work closely with the local Age Concerns in ther nation and are currently deciding on what those future relationships will look like.
The future structure of the Age Concern Federation and how it will work with the national organisation is also under review.
Click here to read a full Q&A about this subject between Niki May Young and Stephanie Harland.
