Staff at Harrogate & District Community Action have been told their jobs are safe as the organisation prepares to merge with Saint Michael’s Hospice.

The move comes after HADCA reported an £85,085 deficit for the financial year ending March 31, 2026, amid mounting financial pressures and reduced funding from North Yorkshire Council.

The organisation employs 11 people and plays a key role in the local voluntary sector, providing volunteers and support to other not-for-profit groups.

More than 200 organisations are listed as members, including Harrogate Homeless Project, Nidderdale Plus and Ripon Community Link.

HADCA has undergone two restructures in the past four years as funding has become increasingly difficult to secure.

The Stray Ferret revealed last month that the organisation was planning to merge with Saint Michael’s, which is based at Hornbeam Park in Harrogate.

We attended yesterday’s (November 4) HADCA AGM at Harrogate Baptist Church, at which chair of trustees Helen Bourner confirmed the board had formally approved the merger and said it was “very positive” about the move.

She sought to reassure members that the organisation was not facing imminent collapse.

“We are not bust yet. We are not going into receivership. We had time to find a merger partner and make it happen in a planned way. This is about taking HADCA forward. It’s not about closing HADCA down,” she said.

Victoria Oldham, chair of HADCA’s finance sub-committee, described the past year as difficult, adding: “Funding is tight and getting tighter.”

Staff jobs safe under merger plans

Following the AGM, Saint Michael’s chief executive Tony Collins answered questions from HADCA members about the proposed merger.

Asked directly whether HADCA’s staff would keep their jobs, Mr Collins gave an unequivocal “yes” and indicated that significant changes to their existing roles were not anticipated.

“There isn’t one existing service that doesn’t dovetail with any of our services,” he said.

Mr Collins said Saint Michael’s was taking on HADCA because it would help provide more volunteers, extend the organisation’s impact on beneficiaries and enhance its hospice care services.

He also sought to allay concerns that the merger could create competition with other voluntary organisations by taking volunteers away from them.

He said he did not envisage “any conflict of interest with other voluntary organisations”.

Describing HADCA as a “well-led organisation”, Mr Collins said it would continue to operate under its existing name as a brand within Saint Michael’s.

Two of HADCA’s seven board members will also join the Saint Michael’s board.

What will happen to Community House?

Members also raised questions about the future of HADCA’s Community House, which provides 30 serviced offices.

Asked whether the building would be sold, Mr Collins replied: “Absolutely not.”

Ms Bourner confirmed there had been no recent valuation of the property.

There was also a question about whether North Yorkshire Council had contributed towards the cost of the merger. Ms Bourner said discussions with the council were ongoing.

The merger also marks something of a return for Mr Collins, who has a long-standing connection with HADCA.

As chair of trustees, he oversaw the merger of Harrogate & Area Council for Voluntary Service and Ripon Council for Voluntary Service, which together formed the predecessor organisation to HADCA, 13 years ago.