It will remain a Scottish charity but will form a new board of trustees from both organisations

A Scottish deaf charity has merged with a group from south of the border.

Deaf Action, which is based in Edinburgh has joined with Sonus, the trading name for the Hampshire, Isle of Wight and Channel Islands Association for Deaf People.

The joint organisation will retain Deaf Action’s name and remain a Scottish charity, but will form a new board consisting of trustees from both organisations. 

Deaf Action employs 75 people and has an annual income of £1.9 million, while Sonus has 20 staff and an annual income of about £900,000. 

There will be no redundancies as a result of the merger, but there may have to be some redeployment as a result of roles being duplicated.

A spokesperson said Deaf Action had been looking to expand its services to a wider audience and merging with Sonus, which runs the UK’s only residential care home for deaf elderly people, would be a step towards developing more such facilities. 

The charities’ chief executives have already been sharing expertise.

Philip Gerrard, CEO of Deaf Action, which dates back to 1835, said: “We’re delighted to be merging with Sonus – it’s a great opportunity to bring two of the longest standing deaf charities together to offer our support to even more deaf people.”

Liz Jones, chief executive of Sonus will now move into the new position of deputy chief executive of the joint charity. She said: “By merging, Sonus and Deaf Action we will have a stronger and more resilient workforce who can better support the needs of deaf people. We will improve and increase our specialist services, sharing knowledge and skills. As a larger, stronger organisation, we will be better equipped to support even more deaf people across the country.”