Bethany and BCYF open talks on merger

BCYF (Barwon Child, Youth & Family) and Bethany Community Support have opened talks about whether their collective expertise and resources could better support the community through a merger.

Announced earlier this month, discussions between the two Geelong-based organisations are in the exploration phase, and they are about to start consultations with key stakeholders.

“We are beginning the process by seeking feedback from our staff and the people we support as their insights are crucial to us making a fully informed decision,” Bethany board chair Chris Bowly and BCYF board chair David McDonald said in a statement.

Mr Bowly said the merger exploration with BCYF aligned with Bethany’s purpose of working together to meet the changing needs and aspirations of people in their communities.

“We are both strong, values driven organisations that have served our communities very well for over 150 years. We also both have a strong commitment to providing the best possible supports and continuously improve our services.”

Mr McDonald said BCYF and Bethany had much in common, and the potential impact of bringing the two organisations together also strongly aligned with BCYF’s vision of a community where people were safe, connected, and empowered to live well.

“We know when like-minded organisations come together, it can strengthen services and result in more integrated service delivery and experiences for our clients now and into the future.”

The pair said the COVID-19 pandemic had shown how quickly the needs of people and communities could change, and the importance of organisations being able to respond to such changes as a result.

“We have seen an increasing demand for the services we provide and the needs of the people we support are becoming more complex and that’s why we are exploring the notion of whether or not a merger of our two organisations could achieve even stronger outcomes for our community, as well as provide a broader range of more connected services.

“During the merger exploration phase, there will be no change or impact to the delivery of services.

“Both BCYF and Bethany will continue to operate as normal and we would like to remind the community that we are here to support you.”