Youth and anti-crime charities set for merger

Youth charity Rainer and crime-prevention charity Crime Concern are merging and undergoing a major rebrand. The changes will also see a restructure of its top-level staff.

The changes will happen in two phases with the charities becoming Rainer Crime Concern on July 1 and relaunching under a new name at the end of the year. It is seeking an advertising agency to handle the relaunch.

The merged agency will be headed by Rainer chief executive Joyce Moseley but it will reduce its director-level staff from eight to five as part of the changes. The top marketers at the two charities are understood to be competing head to head for the lead role.

Rainer director of marketing and communications Gail Scott-Spicer says: “We are still in the process of deciding who is on the senior marketing team. We will stay in post until July 1 and then there will be a possibility of redundancies.”

The rebranding includes a complete review of its branding and positioning and Scott-Spicer says the charity is meeting eight agencies, three of which will be selected for the final pitch.

The charities’ combined mission will be to educate young people while promoting safer, crime-free communities for the public.

Rainer was founded as the Royal Philanthropic Society 200 years ago. It merged with the Rainer Foundation in 1997 to become RPS Rainer and was renamed Rainer in 2003. The charity co-operates with government organisations including the Youth Justice Board. It works with young people in custody or who have been in care.

Crime Concern is a national charity working to reduce crime, anti-social behaviour and the fear of crime.