Adferiad Merge with Diverse Cymru

Adferiad and Diverse Cymru are excited to announce our decision to merge our organisations. As of 1^st April, Diverse Cymru will become part of the Adferiad family, preserving our longstanding history of collaboration, including joint service delivery and representation on national groups such as the Wales Alliance for Mental Health.

This merger is made possible by the shared vision of both organisations—to create a Wales where individuals are empowered to have a voice and control over their lives. Through this merger, we aim to provide a broader platform for those we support, ensuring that all communities across Wales feel heard and that their uniqueness and diversity are celebrated. This will enable us to deliver services that best meet individuals’ needs.

Both organisations have concluded that the merger is in our best interests, allowing us to deliver improved services to our clients and enhance our already considerable sector knowledge. Additionally, the merger will offer excellent future opportunities and the chance to reduce costs. We anticipate that the combined budgets and economies will enable us to sustainably continue our exemplary service delivery, improve our growth prospects, and become Wales leading Equality Diversity and Inclusion specialists.

The merger will not affect our existing services, community partnerships, or the organisations we support. We are committed to maintaining our reputation for high-quality, empowering services that enable our clients to thrive. Our mission will become even more diverse, and we will retain our specialist skills as an organisation with unique expertise and a professional, committed workforce. We believe that this merger will only enhance our services, leveraging our shared expertise and knowledge to better support the communities we serve.

Depending on the structure of the new organisation, most or all staff will be invited to transfer to Adferiad in accordance with TUPE rules, with any future changes subject to discussion with staff and their representatives. We are confident that the merger will bring clear benefits to the staff of both organisations, including increased security and wider opportunities.

Clive Wolfendale, Chair of Adferiad’s Trustee has this to say about the new merger:

“We are delighted to be welcoming Diverse Cymru into the Adferiad family. We have had an excellent working relationship with Diverse for over 20 years, working with them on a number of services and projects during that time. We have a deep appreciation for the work Diverse has done across Wales and have worked with them to better develop our own organisational cultural competence as a result. The wealth of knowledge and experience that Diverse can add to our operations can’t be underestimated, and I am very excited to see how this will better support the people and communities that we serve across the nation.”

Suzanne Duval, Former Vice Chair of Trustees at Adferiad and current employee of Diverse Cymru was excited by the merger, saying:

“As the recent Vice-Chair of Trustees with Adferiad and long-term employee of Diverse Cymru, I am both personally and professionally excited that this merger has taken place. Both organisations complement each other in terms of how they believe people and staff should be supported and hold a shared vision for the future: to see a Wales that can recognise the uniqueness of its people and celebrate that diversity. Adferiad and Diverse are seasoned campaigners for change and I have no doubt that combined, we will see great things emerge from this new partnership.”

 Nick de Figueiredo, Chair of Trustees at Diverse Cymru was also positive about the merger, saying:

“Diverse Cymru and its Board of Trustees are delighted to become part of the Adferiad family. We believe this merger is in best interest of Diverse Cymru, our mission, our team and most importantly our clients. It is incredibly positive to see this merger come together. This new relationship between Diverse Cymru and Adferiad will provide a platform for both organisations to collaborate, move forward together, and continue delivering valuable services and support to people across Wales.  I would like to thank my fellow trustees both past and present for all your time and dedication to Diverse Cymru, everyone at Adferiad who has made this possible, and most importantly, all the team at Diverse Cymru for their passion, dedication and drive for a more equal Wales.”