Two organisations in the south of England, SCA Group and Alabaré, have signed a partnership agreement which brings a secular social enterprise together with a Christian charity.

The two organisations will remain separate but work together on projects at a national and local level, share expertise and business intelligence and monitor national health and social care policy.

Rev. Brian Strevens (pictured on the right), founder and executive president of SCA Group, said: “Alabaré has its roots in Christian community service while SCA Group is a secular organisation, but there are synergies in our aims and values.

“In both cases we aim to improve people’s lives by providing flexible services that meet their practical, emotional and care needs while also treating them with dignity and respect.”  

Rev. John Proctor (pictured, left), founder and chair of Alabaré, said: “Alabaré has built strong partnerships to ensure it is able to call on the expertise necessary to remain at the forefront of a developing third sector and we see our link with SCA Group as another positive move in this direction.”  

“We both bring differing strengths to the table which should help us in our effort to provide the flexible care needed by our clients in a changing market place.”

SCA Group, an Industrial & Provident Society with charitable status and regulated by the FSA, has a turnover of £10m.

It provides community care, NHS dentistry, advocacy, community transport, social enterprise consultancy and health and social care training mainly in Poole, Hampshire and Dorset.

Alabaré, which had an income of £5.3m in 2008/09, supports homeless people, vulnerable young people and those with learning disabilities and mental health needs in Hampshire, Dorset, Bristol, North Somerset and Devon.

It does this via crisis drop-in centres, supported housing, resettlement services and a training and employment centre.