Fegans is now part of Spurgeons Children’s Charity
Spurgeons is acquiring Fegans and will retain all of Fegans current work and every member of staff.
Do you have some questions? On this site you’ll find some helpful FAQs.
SHARED VISION TO SEE MORE VULNERABLE CHILDREN FLOURISH UNDERPINS TRANSFER OF FEGANS INTO SPURGEONS
Spurgeons Children’s Charity acquires school counselling and parental support charity Fegans
We’re excited to announce that Fegans, a school counselling and parenting support charity based in the South East of England, has transferred into Spurgeons Children’s Charity (Spurgeons), effective 1 July 2021.
Inspired by the Christian faith, Spurgeons, like Fegans, has built a reputation of excellence over the last 150 years working with children and young people. The goal of the acquisition is to build on that reputation as part of Spurgeons long-term strategy — giving the growing number of children in the UK, made vulnerable through challenging circumstances, a better home-life so they can flourish and fulfill their potential.
Continuity of services a priority
Spurgeons will continue all of Fegans current work and every member of staff has transferred their employment to Spurgeons under TUPE (Transfer of Undertakings Protection of Employment). Ian Soars, Fegans current CEO, will join the senior executive team of Spurgeons, retaining responsibility for Fegans services within Spurgeons and reporting into Spurgeons CEO Ross Hendry.
There will be minimal changes resulting from the acquisition for most staff, as both charities prioritise continuity of the services provided in order to minimise disruptions, for both colleagues and the children and families they serve, as far as possible.
The benefits of working with Fegans are rooted in our faith, values and ambition and these are all shared by Spurgeons. Spurgeons has a very similar way of working that is very much personal and relational. While it is much bigger than Fegans, it is still of a scale where it greatly values those relationships and being able to know and meet the needs of its partners.
Shared vision, ethos and ambition to grow support for children and families
For both charities, the acquisition provides long-term sustainability and more potential for growth. Together as one charity, Spurgeons, which now includes the services and staff of Fegans, aims to help transform the lives of children and families facing significant challenges — particularly in the wake of lockdown.
This will be achieved through an increased geographical footprint, interrelated services, shared expertise and a strong infrastructure. For example, children supported by Spurgeons prison-based family support services will in the future also be referred to counselling to grow support for families, and vice versa.
Spurgeons Chief Executive, Ross Hendry, says, “Integral to Fegans transferring into Spurgeons is a shared ambition to model and reflect our Christian faith through the work we do with children and families. Spurgeons has been planning its long-term future for some time and we’re delighted to welcome Fegans into Spurgeons. We share a faith-based heritage and ethos, as well as an ambition to support vulnerable children to
have a home-life where they find the love, peace and safety that enables them to flourish. We also both value partnerships with churches as an integral part of who we are and how we want to work.
The acquisition offers immense potential to be able to build on the work of both charities. Fegans school-based interventions and services will widen Spurgeons service base — with the aim of reaching more children to support them in their home-life — and diversify our income sources.”
Ian Soars, Fegans Chief Executive, says, “Fegans will continue to care for children but, as part of Spurgeons, our capacity to reach many more children is unparalleled. Together, we can make a greater impact on a greater need, as we sustainably grow our long-term support for these children and families.”
A shared faith-based heritage
While Fegans will no longer function as an independent charity, Spurgeons is committed to keeping the Fegans name linked to the work of supporting children and young people. How the Fegans name might be used in the future and where, will be informed by a review later this year. It has also been agreed that two of Fegans five trustees will join the Spurgeons Board of Trustees.
Spurgeons and Fegans have a similar heritage. Both charities started orphanages around 150 years ago as an outworking of their Christian faith. Fegans is named after James Fegans who started children’s orphanages in 1870, a couple of years after well-known Baptist preacher Charles Spurgeon did the same just down the road – they may well have been acquaintances. Today Fegans provides qualified counselling to vulnerable children, supporting struggling families and own two preschools that both operate as family hubs in Kent, Sussex, South London and Oxford.
Spurgeons runs 50 services/projects in 22 Local Authority areas across England (Midlands, East, West, South and London). We have contact with over 30,000 children and adults, whilst working more intensively with over 3,000 children and young people over the last year.
With more than 400 staff, 150 volunteers and thousands of supporters, Spurgeons deliver a range of support services. These include children centres and family hubs, prison-based family support, services to support young carers, families affected by domestic abuse and to girls and young woman in, or at risk of, joining gangs. They also offer parenting courses and support and more recently school counselling and support through the services of Fegans, which transferred into Spurgeons in 1 July 2021.
Have questions? Interested in partnering with us?
Being able to shine brightly as a Christian children’s charity draws on the prayers and giving of thousands of faithful supporters across the country. Here’s how you can learn more and get involved.
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