A charity that supports voluntary and community groups is set to be absorbed by a larger counterpart in a bid to expand its services across more areas and reach a bigger, more diverse audience, the charities said.

Welwyn Hatfield CVS officially approved its merger with Communities 1st this week, with the charities having worked closely together since 2020.

The charities made the decision to merge last November but said they could only proceed once approved by WHCVS members at a general meeting last month.

“We aim to implement the merger as smoothly as possible, ensuring we continue to meet all our commitments without interruption and continue to serve our local communities and make a positive impact,” the charities said.

“Combining our resources and back-office function will make us more efficient and allow us to deliver a wide range of services more effectively than the two separate organisations provided prior to the merger.”

The merged charity will continue as Communities 1st and both charities said they would continue with no immediate changes.

Communities 1st had an income of  £1.4m in the year to the end of March 2024, while WHCVS’ income was £130,535 for the same period.

The charities have 46 and four employees respectively, according to their accounts.

Stephen Craker, chief executive of Communities 1st, said the range of services provided by the merged charity would stay the same and might increase in the future.

“As we look to the future, we are filled with optimism and excitement about the new possibilities this partnership will bring,” he said.

The charities did not respond to questions about redundancies, the make-up of the new board, and what the merger means for WHCVS chief executive Carmen Dillon.