In September 2025, Cheshire-based, national social care charity Making Space completed a merger with Beacon Counselling, a Stockport organisation providing counselling and wellbeing support for adults, young people, and children, marking another significant step forward in the charity’s long-term growth strategy.
The move expands their wellbeing and talking therapies portfolio beyond our existing services in Wigan, Cheshire, and Warrington, strengthening their offer and ensuring more people can access vital mental health support.
This milestone comes within just 12 months of the purchase of the Palmyra building, the residential care home in Waterloo, Liverpool. Commissioned by Sefton Council (Adult Social Care), Palmyra provides accommodation and personal care for people living with mental health conditions. By purchasing the property, Making Space secured the long-term future of the home. Rather than see residents displaced, the charity stepped in to protect their homes and ensure continuity and stability for the people they support, some of whom have lived there for more than 20 years.
Together, these two developments highlight their commitment to delivering on their 2024–2029 strategic plan, Recipe for Success, which identifies mergers and acquisitions as a key area of growth. In particular, talking therapies and broader therapeutic services are one of three priority service types they are actively pursuing.
The merger with Beacon Counselling secures the continuation of wellbeing services in the area, including NHS Stockport Talking therapies and a range of community and workplace counselling programmes, with support from NHS partners, Stockport Homes Group, and Stockport Metropolitan Council.
Beyond preserving Beacon Counselling services, the merger creates opportunities to build on strong foundations, grow provision, and innovate with even greater impact. Beacon also joins our growing portfolio of services in Stockport, which already includes the Stockport Connect Hub, launched in August 2025 to take over deliver the community-based Mental Health Prevention and Enablement Service on behalf of Stockport Council; Open Door Stockport, part of Greater Manchester’s Crisis Spaces network providing immediate crisis management and emotional support from its new larger town-centre base; and Castlewood Court, a supported living scheme in partnership with Inclusion Housing, supporting adults with learning disabilities, autism, and mental health conditions.
Rachel Peacock, Chief Executive of Making Space, said:
“This is an exciting milestone for Making Space and for the communities we support. By welcoming Beacon Counselling into Making Space, we are ensuring local people continue to benefit from high-quality counselling and therapeutic services, while creating opportunities to share expertise and deliver even greater impact. This merger is a clear demonstration of our strategy in action and our commitment to growth, stability, and the best possible support.”
Talking about the merger, Sandi Marshall, former CEO of Beacon Counselling, added:
“Beacon is taking an exciting new step forward by joining Making Space. This partnership will strengthen the support it provides and ensure it continues making a lasting difference to people’s mental health and wellbeing in Stockport. By becoming part of Making Space, Beacon is securing its future and gaining access to greater resources and expertise. I am confident this step will allow Beacon to build on its proud history while opening the door to new opportunities that will benefit the people Beacon is here to support.”
Professor Mike Thomas (Making Space) and Duncan Weldrake (Beacon Counselling), Chairs of the respective Boards of Trustees, agreed:
“This merger is built on a shared vision, mutual respect, and a commitment to delivering even greater impact for the people and communities we serve. By combining our expertise and values, we are confident we will unlock new opportunities, foster innovation, and strengthen our resilience. We are proud of the experience each organisation brings, and even more excited about what we can achieve together. We would like to thank our teams and funding partners for their commitment in making this partnership possible.”
By acquiring Palmyra and now merging with Beacon Counselling within the space of a year, Making Space has shown both the ambition and the capability to grow through targeted opportunities. Each move has been carefully chosen to strengthen their core services, align with their strategic vision, and ensure the people they support experience continuity, stability, and care.
This latest development represents a cornerstone of their strategy, helping to build a stronger future for Making Space and the people and communities they serve.
Image depicts the Making Space logo