Kick Start London merger with SHP consolidates services for homeless young people

Kick Start London, a specialist provider of supported accommodation for young people in Camden, has merged with SHP. The merger took effect on 31 July 2010, but the organisations have been working closely together since February when Kick Start London chose SHP as their partner. 

Kick Start London’s chair Howard Salter explained the motivation behind the move:

“Joining SHP will enable us to develop new services and reduce costs. As a small independent provider Kick Start London has limited ability to compete for new business or invest in service innovation.

The London Housing Foundation assisted our Board to evaluate a range of potential partners with the capacity to take our services to the next level. We were very impressed with SHP’s supportive culture, and their expertise in fields including substance misuse and offending will add extra dimensions to our services.”

SHP Chair Jonathan Senker said:

“We are delighted that Kick Start London has chosen SHP as its merger partner. Kick Start London’s expertise in working with young people with high support needs will enhance our offering for young people and will enable us to move forward together to provide more services for at a time when demand from young people for these services is likely to rise.”

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