Two of Scotland’s leading third sector organisations have announced plans to merge with the aim of expanding operations to further enhance and strengthen the support they offer to people across the country.

Ypeople, the Glasgow-based charity which provides support to vulnerable groups and individuals including homeless and young people is to merge with YWCA Scotland – the Young Women’s Movement, the feminist organisation which is part of a global movement of young women leading change.

The new partnership will be known as the Ypeople Group.

A special event was held at the Scottish Parliament last week, hosted by Gillian Martin, MSP for Aberdeenshire East, to celebrate the merger.

Joe Connolly, chief executive officer of Ypeople, said: “We have been working informally with the YWCA Scotland team for a number of months on a variety of projects. In that time, it has become apparent that there are obvious opportunities for both organisations to benefit those we support by collaborating on a more formal basis.

“Ypeople and YWCA Scotland already have much in common. The two groups have rich histories dating back more than 100 years but, at the same time, take a modern and outward-looking approach to supporting and giving a voice to vulnerable and marginalised people across Scotland.

“YWCA Scotland’s team of talented and forward-thinking young women, led by its new director Patrycja Kupiec, will be an enormous asset to the newly expanded group as we pool our resources to assist people in Scotland who most need our help.”

Patrycja Kupiec, who took over her new role at the end of 2017, said: “YWCA Scotland – the Young Women’s Movement is an organisation steeped in history, and while we are proud of our heritage, our main strength is being able to constantly re-invent ourselves and innovate to best represent the interests of young women in Scotland.

“We want to see young women and girls thrive on a local and global scale, and their voices heard, celebrated, and respected. The partnership with Ypeople will strengthen our position as one of the Scotland’s leading feminist organisations and we are very excited for this next step in our history.”

Ypeople – which was previously known as YMCA Glasgow – is a registered Scottish charity which supports positive change in people’s lives.

With services across Scotland in areas including Glasgow, Edinburgh, Inverness, South Lanarkshire and the Orkney Islands, it works with people affected by homelessness, and young people with wellbeing support needs through its counselling and mentoring services.

Based in Edinburgh and Glasgow, YWCA Scotland – The Young Women’s Movement is a feminist organisation with over 160 years history, and it forms part of the World YWCA movement.

The youth-led organisation provides safe spaces for young women and girls to empower them to be leaders; delivers workshops on gender equality and stereotypes in schools; offers volunteering opportunities for young women; and is piloting a leadership programme for young women – Young Women Lead.

The Glasgow centre provides support for hundreds of women every year, primarily focusing on refugees, survivors of violence, and women who are living with mental illness.

YWCA Scotland – the Young Women’s Movement maintains its presence around the world and is seen as a major player in providing a voice for the rights of young women and girls on the international stage.