Charity merger insights, challenges & opportunities

Are you looking to increase your charity’s impact? Does your charity need a safe harbour to help navigate an increasingly difficult economic climate? Or do you just want to know more about mergers?  Join us to hear from charity leaders about their experience steering organisations through the merger process, and about recent and live case studies. Experts from Bates Wells and Eastside People will also be sharing insights into different types of merger structures and options, and the latest Good Merger Index research.

This session will cover:

• Introduction to mergers – Luke Fletcher (Partner, Bates Wells) will be covering merger structures and options for charities, including key legal steps and choosing the right model for your charity.
• Review of merger trends – Cara Evans (Head of Partnerships and Mergers, Eastside People) will be sharing insights from the Good Merger Index 24/25, an annual research-based report on mergers amongst charities and social enterprises.
• Case study discussions:
  • In conversation with Alistair Halliday – Lucy Rhodes (Partner, Bates Wells) will have a fireside chat with Alistair Halliday (CEO, Forces Employment Charity). They will be discussing lessons learned and top tips from Alistair’s experience leading the merger with the Officers’ Association employment services.
  • In conversation with Stephen Veevers – Stephen Veevers (CEO, Hft): Steve is in the process of looking at mergers as a strategic option for Hft. Cara Evans will be discussing the merger process with Steve, tapping into his reflections at this stage of the process and what’s next for the charity.
• Q&A

Speakers:

1. Alistair Halliday (Chief Executive Officer, Forces Employment Charity). Alistair joined the Regular Forces Employment Association (RFEA) as Chief Executive in January 2019, and following its merger with the Officers’ Association employment services in May 2022, he became Chief Executive of the Forces Employment Charity. Alistair is a veteran of the Royal Navy, and has worked in corporate business, government and the voluntary sectors, with extensive experience in media communications, strategy, change and business development. He recently set up and ran the acclaimed Forces Media Academy.
2. Stephen Veevers, Chief Executive of Hft, brings over 25 years of senior experience across social care, local government, and not‑for‑profit leadership, including major transformation roles local government care outsourcing, and is widely recognised for his person‑centred, partnership‑driven approach to complex organisational change. His current, live experience navigating merger and partnership discussions — including work with Eastside People and exploratory conversations with potential partners — gives him rare, real‑time insight into the strategic, cultural, and operational realities of mergers in today’s pressured social care environment. Combined with his national profile as a sector advocate, having recently presented Hft’s Sector Pulse Check findings to MPs, he brings both grounded leadership experience and system‑level perspective, making him the perfect person to share his insights and experience at our first face to face merger discussion hosted by Bates Wells on the 21^{st of} May.
3. Cara Evans, the Head of Partnerships and Mergers at Eastside People, bringing over two decades of experience in the charity sector and a track record of leading organisations through complex change. A former CEO and COO, she has managed multiple mergers firsthand and now oversees more than thirty merger and partnership projects each year, supporting charities with feasibility studies, partner searches, due diligence and implementation. Cara is known for her calm leadership, exacting project management, and ability to help organisations navigate challenge with clarity and compassion. Based in London, she is a trusted advisor to CEOs and Boards across the UK and a passionate advocate for sector collaboration and sustainable impact
4. Lucy Rhodes (Partner, Bates Wells). Lucy is a charity law specialist at Bates Wells with experience helping charities and social enterprises through restructures, mergers and spin-outs. She advises on governance and legal compliance, as well as investments, endowments, and fundraising. Lucy is recognised by leading legal directories, Chambers & Partners and Legal 500.
5. Luke Fletcher (Partner, Bates Wells). Luke advises charities and not-for-profits on structuring and formation, charity law and governance, commercial arrangements, restructuring, mergers and regulatory challenges. He has specialist expertise in structuring relationships at the intersection of the worlds of charity and business/finance. Luke is recognised for his work with charities and not-for-profits by leading legal directories, Chambers & Partners and Legal 500.

The Good Merger Index shows a near doubling of mergers over each of 2023-24 and 2024-25. Increasingly, trustees and senior leaders are looking at joint venture options, collaborations and mergers as part of their long-term strategies. Merging with another charity can be a positive option, whether you are seeking to improve service delivery or secure your future.

Read our Charity Merger Guide, everything you need to know about merging a charity. Our specialist consultants have been supporting charity and not-for-profit mergers for over a decade. We’ve condensed their best knowledge and tips into these seven articles that cover the practical and technical aspects of mergers – a must read for anyone considering a merger.