Community umbrella organisations bassac and the Development Trusts Association (DTA) are consulting their members on proposals for a merger.

The two organisations already have a strong partnership, having undertaken joint policy activities, delivered programmes such as Communitybuilders and the Safer Homes Fund, and with Community Matters were founding members of the Community Alliance.

bassac is the national umbrella body for community organisations while the DTA is a network of community practitioners.

Ben Hughes (pictured), chief executive of bassac, said: “We both see the huge potential of a new organisation that combines our skills and areas of expertise. There’s a lot of scope for the new organisation to draw on bassac’s history of pioneering social change and to be a real inspiration to the rest of the sector.”

As members of the Office for Civil Society’s strategic partners scheme, both are facing possible funding cuts, but Steve Wyler, director of the DTA, said the merger was not being driven by financial concerns.

“Both organisations are in good shape – neither of us needs to do this. But we believe a merger could create something even stronger; a new organisation building on our combined track records to create a powerful force, not only to support community organisations nationwide but also to shape national and local policy.”

The proposal will be discussed at extraordinary general meetings of both organisations on 10 November.