KIDS VIP TO MERGE WITH PACT

We are proud to announce that we will be merging with Kids VIP to form a single charity.

The new charity, which will operate under the pact name, will have over 200 staff and a turnover of around £3.5 million, and will support over 350,000 family and children visits each year.

The merger will see Kids VIP’s prison training and development work and its Play worker network continue to develop and share best practice on all aspects relating to children visiting prisons.

Both Kids VIP and pact share a common purpose to support the children of prisoners, and believe that these vulnerable boys and girls have a right to be treated with understanding, compassion and respect.

Andy Keen-Downs, the Chief Executive of pact, welcomed the merger:

“The shared ethos of Kids VIP and pact make this an ideal match. I have long admired their work to train and support prisons with child-centred visits, and I am committed to continue to provide this great service working alongside pact staff. This merger is a fantastic opportunity to strengthen and develop the services to those affected by imprisonment so that the disruption to their lives is minimised.

“Kids VIP and pact have worked closely together for many years, and in that time a real bond has formed. I am confident that the trust between the two teams, and the common values we share, will make it a success and result in improved services to the children and families of prisoners.”

Fiona Clarke, founder and Trustee of Kids VIP, echoed Andy’s enthusiasm:

“The origins for Kids VIP lie in work which started in 1986 when I noticed mothers with children outside the prison gate at Winchester prison, and offered to run a play area in the visits room for them. Since then the charity has developed a strong national profile. In the current climate, we now believe it makes sense to merge, and have chosen to place our work with pact, one of a number of possible partners. We believe that they have the commitment, ethos and know-how to take forward our work nationally for children visiting prisons.”

The two organisations have a combined experience of over 125 years, meaning that the new charity is now the leading organisation in the country working with the families and children of prisoners, with a dedicated team focusing on the needs of prisoners children. Kids VIP will become a Division of pact, and the Kids VIP name will be retained as the brand for all of pact’s existing services to children. As part of the merger process, two Trustees from Kids VIP will be joining the pact board.

For press enquiries, please contact Stephen Nash on 020 7735 9535.