Caroline Armitage, chief executive of the Royal Blind Society, is to step down next month, as the charity announces a formal association with the Royal London Society for Blind People.

Eileen Harding, currently corporate team director at the Royal London Society for Blind People, is to take over as chief executive of the Royal Blind Society in April.

The Royal London Society for Blind People and Royal Blind Society have decided to form an association called the RLSB Group to reflect a “shared vision” and cut costs.

Armitage is to act as a consultant to the new RLSB Group.

Both charities support vision-impaired children and young people and their families in England and Wales.

A spokeswoman said formal discussions will now focus on how the charities will work together while retaining their separate identities.

She said there were no immediate plans for a merger, but she said if it was found that a merger would outweigh the benefits of an association, it would be considered.

The Royal London Society for Blind People had an income of £5.5m in the year to December 2012 and employs 100 people. The Royal Blind’s income was £1.2m in the year to September 2012. It has 40 employees.

Separately, the Royal Blind Society is consulting with 20 staff on closing its Belmont Hotel in Wales. The charity owns two hotels, in Llandudno, North Wales and West Sussex – that offer holidays to visually impaired young people and their families.

Dr Tom Pey, chief executive at Royal London Society For Blind People, said of the partnership discussions: "This association will mean two of the oldest sight-loss charities in the country connecting as one strong innovative voice to realise our ambitions to drastically improve the life chances of the young people we serve.”