Merger complete for new social justice charity, Novas Scarman Group
Tuesday 11 December 2007
Three organisations – Novas Group, PATH and Scarman Trust – completed their merger on 11th December 2007, creating a major new social justice charity, the Novas Scarman Group.
The new organisation has four core activities:
- Community support services serving the most disadvantaged communities
- Clusters of social enterprises based in Contemporary Urban Centres
- Nation-wide programmes of learning and inclusive pathways to work
- Campaigning and policy advocacy work – “connecting the streets with the corridors of power”
Maria Donoghue-Mills, Co-Group Chief Executive/Founder of the Novas Scarman Group, added, “Our shared vision is to build on our combined strengths and create an influential and effective catalyst for social justice. This merger represents the achievement of critical mass for the related fields of community development and social enterprise.”
Matthew Pike, Executive Director of the Novas Scarman Group, commented, “Since the inner city riots of the early 1980’s, many government programmes have failed to change the lives of those that have least access to opportunities. By combining our strengths in community development and social enterprises, the Novas Scarman Group will provide high quality services that will draw on the ideas, creativity and entrepreneurialism of people living on the margins of society. The new group will be a powerhouse of social innovation for social justice.
PATH CEO Paul Butler said, “PATH is proud to be part of a Group with partners who share such a deep commitment to growing the talents of a diverse society. This merger will help PATH to extend its work, for example helping us to give more Black and minority ethnic professionals access to the field of community regeneration and social enterprise”.
The announcement of the merger was made at a buffet lunch hosted by novas at the Contemporary Urban Centre, London Bridge Bankside, to celebrate Social Enterprise Day on 15 November.
The event was attended by Phil Hope, Minister for the Third Sector, who commented,
"Novas has a very impressive record of reaching disadvantaged people and helping them to build better lives. They show just how effectively social enterprise can tackle some of the most difficult social problems. I wish Novas and the Scarman Trust, a strategic partner of the Office of the Third Sector, well in their upcoming merger, and I look forward to working with them in that capacity."
Click here for more information about The Scarman Trust.
Click here for more information about PATH UK
Press contacts:
Alexandra Pryce
Marketing & Communications Manager
020 7424 3060
alexandra.pryce@novas.org
Matthew Pike
Founder CEO of The Scarman Trust
0788 5540216
