In 2017 the heads of Langley’s biggest non-profit social service agencies, from left, Sherry Baker and Lynne Topham of Encompass, and Wayne Wiebe and Sanjeev Nand of Langley Community Services Society were ready to merge. That merger is now off. (Langley Advance files)

In 2017 the heads of Langley’s biggest non-profit social service agencies, from left, Sherry Baker and Lynne Topham of Encompass, and Wayne Wiebe and Sanjeev Nand of Langley Community Services Society were ready to merge. That merger is now off. (Langley Advance files)

Merger of Encompass, LCSS cancelled

The two non-profits will continue to work together on some projects, a statement said.

Langley’s Encompass Support Services Society announced that it will be pulling out of a deal to merge with fellow social service non-profit Langley Community Services Society.

A year ago, the two non-profits announced a plan to merge later in the fall.

The idea was to end competition for grants and to create a larger agency that could afford to hire more people than either could have independently.

But in a statement issued Thursday, Aug. 30, Encompass said it stopped the merger process in July.

“ESSS wants to be very clear that they totally support Langley Community Services Society in their work and expect to continue to work with them on many contracts and services in the future – as they have done in the past,” the statement said.

Encompass will be led going forward by Loren Roberts and Christine McCracken as co-executive directors.

• More to come

Langley Advance