The story behind Activ Foundation, genU merger

After a comprehensive 12-month integration program, two of Australia’s leading community service organisations are officially one.

Western Australia’s longest-standing disability support provider Activ Foundation and Geelong-based disability support, employment, training and senior services provider genU both built legacies grounded in compassion, empowerment, and social inclusion. 

Established at similar times in the 1950s, each organisation was powered by the values of their respective founding families and their strong commitment to person-centred care.

More than 70 years on and staring into the reality of changing sector landscapes and significant sweeping reforms in disability and aged care, Activ and genU uniting was the most prudent course of action for the two organisations. 

genU chief corporate officer Kelly Marshall said a slow and deliberate merger transition, commencing on July 1 last year, was shaped by a commitment to continuity for clients, families and staff. 

“Our current Activ clients won’t see any change. They will continue to receive the same high-quality services from the same friendly faces in the same familiar places,” Ms Marshall said. 

“The Activ name was introduced 37 years after the WA Group was established to demonstrate a more inclusive organisation. 

“Now that the two organisations have come together, interestingly another 37 years later, it’s time to embrace the genU name, which best represents how we build genuinely inclusive communities around Australia.”

Long-time Activ customer Aeron says she looks forward to accessing supports with genU on the east coast when she travels.

From September 1 this year, the Activ brand will become known as genU and from that time onwards, eye-catching genU signage will be visible across all of its sites and events in WA. 

“The Activ logo, which has already been adapted to include ‘a genU company’, will become simply the genU logo over time,” Ms Marshall explained. 

She said the brand needed to become one to help build on the positive impact of genU Australia-wide and a national scope creates better opportunities for clients, families, communities and staff.

“The Activ brand is synonymous with disability support in WA and we are confident the positive associations that come with the Activ brand will be transferred as it becomes known and recognised as genU,” Ms Marshall said. 

“We are cognisant of the broad sector reforms and also the high expectations of our clients that we continue to provide safe, reliable and excellent services they deserve to receive.”  genU chief people officer Elaine Garner

By combining operational scale with localised knowledge, the unified entity will deliver more robust, sustainable, and innovative supports for more Western Australians with disability.

“Our scale gives us the strength to provide continuous high-quality care and importantly stability for clients knowing the organisation they trust is prepared for the future and can continue to empower them to lead their best lives,” Ms Marshall said.

“Our efforts aim to empower clients with greater choice and control, aligning with both the NDIS principles and the expectations in aged services.

“It’s an exciting time when you can identify that opportunities will arise, plan for the future through diversifying income streams and strategically invest in technology and infrastructure.”

Aeron had been one of Activ’s customers for years before transferring to the genU community and she said she was looking forward to being able to access supports through genU providers on the east coast when she travels.

“It has been so long since I had a holiday and genU will help me with that,” Aeron said. 

“I’m excited that in my heart I am Activ and now my heart gets to grow and have genU in there as well.”

Despite the organisations being on the opposite sides of the nation, the founding families in Perth and Geelong had the same vision: to achieve better lives for their children with disability and create opportunities that did not exist at the time.

Their formula had two key ingredients, deep community connections and a person-centric approach.

genU chief corporate officer Kelly Marshall (left) and chief people officer Elaine Garner.

genU chief people officer Elaine Garner said these focuses continued to resonate with employees of both organisations, who deliver and maintain high-quality support for clients across services.

“Without the strength of our cultures, led by workforces committed to caring for our cohorts, the merger would have been more difficult from an individual and structural perspective,” Ms Garner said. 

“It’s a credit to everyone and their level of maturity. Our cultural underpinnings meant we were focused on the shared goal to seamlessly merge two leading organisations and provide a positive experience for clients and families.”

Ms Garner said workforce development would be a priority for the merged organisation moving forward to ensure service delivery is efficient, effective and tailored to the current service delivery environment. 

“We are cognisant of the broad sector reforms and also the high expectations of our clients that we continue to provide safe, reliable and excellent services they deserve to receive,” Ms Garner said. 

Ms Marshall added that the merger of Activ and genU represented more than an operational efficiency, as it showcased the power of alignment and collaboration to build supportive communities across Australia.

“Leaning into our combined 150 years’ of experience, we know that staying true to the founding families’ goal of creating genuinely inclusive communities means that no matter what the name, our sustainable delivery of their aim is what continues to drive us for another 70 years and beyond,” Ms Marshall said.