CHASE and Shooting Star merger
2 August 2010 - CHASE hospice care for children and Shooting Star have today announced that they will merge to provide a better service to 500 families across London, Surrey and Sussex.
Following detailed work and discussions with the families they support, staff, volunteers and supporters, the charities believe more firmly than ever that a merger will provide the most effective and sustainable service.
Legal and regulatory formalities still need to be completed and it is anticipated the merger will be completed by the end of the year. When this happens, the name of the new organisation will be Shooting Star CHASE. David King, the current Chief Executive of CHASE, will be appointed Chief Executive of the new organisation.
“We are delighted that discussions over the last two months have led to today's announcement,' said David. “The work undertaken has confirmed to both boards that a merger is the best way forward and is a fantastic opportunity to build on the great work of Shooting Star and CHASE.”
“The merger means we can continue to keep our promise to families to offer the best service possible now and into the future.”
19 May 2010 - CHASE and the Shooting Star Children's Hospice have announced that they are in detailed talks about a potential merger.
As close neighbours, Shooting Star and CHASE are currently providing care services and fundraising in overlapping geographical areas across South West London and North Surrey. Between them, the charities currently support more than 500 families and have been looking at the best ways to work together to provide the most effective service.
Both charities believe a merger would provide:
1. More care for families
- There would be increased expertise together with access to a wider range of specialist services. Each Care Team would be better able to meet the needs of all the families they support with specialist facilities for children of all ages.
2. More flexibility for families
- Both hospices would be better able to respond when there is a family crisis without disrupting the care planned for others. Families would also benefit from a choice of locations.
3. More funding
- As one charity, Shooting Star and CHASE would have a higher profile for fundraising and a stronger voice with Government and Primary Care Trust.
The next step is that both Shooting Star and CHASE will be contacting the families they support, their donors, volunteers and staff as well as key partners to obtain feedback on these proposals.
Dennis Horner, Chairman of Shooting Star Board of Trustees said: "This would be an extremely positive move for families. There is a significant overlap in our service provision and fundraising so combining the organisations will enable us to provide an even more effective and family focused service."
Ken Hanna, Chairman of the CHASE Board of Trustees said: "Ten years ago when we started our service we made a promise to be there for families. The world has changed since then; many of the children we support are living longer and often need more complex support. We must continue to keep our promise for the next ten years and, we believe, merging our two services is the best way to do this."
So what does this mean for you?
Please take a look at our Question and Answer page which addresses many queries that have been put to us, and will be regularly updated. There is also a dedicated Question and Answer page for families.
