SJMT and Yardley Great Trust potential merger

SJMT and YGT are both registered charities with shared missions, values, and goals. Over the past few years, both organisations have worked increasingly in collaboration, sharing resources and a strategy, and this has been extremely effective. After careful consideration, the boards of both charities are proposing to merge to enhance our impact, improve services, and ensure long-term sustainability.

​

Why a Merger is Being Considered

​

The merger is being proposed for the following reasons:

​

• Increased Impact: Combining resources will allow us to reach more people and expand our services.

• Improved Efficiency: A unified charity can reduce duplication of efforts and streamline administrative costs.

• Stronger Voice: A single, larger organization can more effectively advocate for our shared cause.

• Sustainability: Merging will help future-proof our work by creating a more resilient organisation.

 

How the Merger Will Work

​

• The merged charity will be called Mason Yardley Trust (or MY Trust).

• The merger will be legally structured as follows:

  • ‘The Yardley Great Trust Group’ will merge into ‘Sir Josiah Mason Trust’ which will be renamed Mason Yardley Trust.

 

Mason Yardley Trust (the merged charitable company) will be the corporate Trustee to the existing linked charities of SJMT and YGT, which will be consolidated leading to 4 separate Linked Charities called:

​

• Sir Josiah Mason Trust (A merger of Sir Josiah Mason’s Relief in Need Charity, Holte and Bracebridge Almshouses, Holy Trinity Heath Town Almshouses, Thomas Banks Almshouses & Oak Tree House)

• Sir Josiah Mason’s Almshouse Charity (the existing Charity which is Registered with the Regulator of Social Housing which includes Sir Josiah Mason’s Almshouses)

• Yardley Great Trust (the existing Charity which is Registered with the Regulator of Social Housing which includes Yardley Great Trust Almshouses.)

• The Yardley Charities (A merger of the Charity of Job Marston, the Colehaven Charities and the charitable activities of Yardley Great Trust (non-housing).

 

Whilst Mason Yardley Trust would operate as one organisation, the assets of each Trust and any geographical objectives would be protected.  We would also retain each of our two separate charities registered with the Regulator of Social Housing. 

​

• All existing services and support to beneficiaries will continue without disruption.

• Current staff and volunteers will be retained as much as possible.

• Any changes to governance structures (e.g., trustees) will be overseen with professional legal advice and in line with Charity Commission guidance.

• The identities of the various charities will be retained as part of the merger even if the name of the charity no longer exists (for example, Thomas Banks Almshouses, Colehaven Cottages, Oak Tree House, etc., will still retain their historical names, and our website will tell their story).

 

Impact on Beneficiaries

 

We expect the merger to bring the following benefits:

​

• Wider access to services

• Improved Quality and Consistency

• More efficient use of funding

• Better long-term security for the charity's work

 

We also believe that this merger will also lead to improved resources and investment to:

​

• Better maintain and repair our homes

• Make homes more energy efficient

• Invest more in kitchen, bathroom and window replacements

• Improve our digital and online platforms for customers

• Build more homes to help people who don’t currently have access to a safe and warm home

• Regenerate existing homes and places

 

There are no plans to reduce the level of service or change eligibility for support. If changes become necessary in the future, these will be made with full communication and input from those affected as they would at any time.

​

Your Voice Matters

​

We invite you to share your views on the proposed merger. Your feedback is important and will be carefully considered by the Board of Trustees before any final decision is made.

​

​