Santander supports Woods Group with Valldata acquisition

With 45 years’ combined experience servicing the not-for-profit sector, this move amalgamates the expertise of two of the sector’s biggest suppliers to form the most complete end-to-end charity fundraising services available in the UK.

Woods Group and Valldata, located just nine miles from each other, offer complementary services with Woods being best known for its strengths in charity raffles, lotteries, print production and payment processing, and Valldata for fulfilment, payment processing and specialist response handling. Bringing them together creates a stronger and more robust business that can work with charities across a broader remit, with logistical and efficiency benefits, and greater agility to respond to the needs of a developing fundraising environment. Together, they will build on their leading position with the advantage of a single investment focus on compliance, quality, and innovation.

The acquisition of Valldata was financed by funding from Santander Corporate & Commercial, the Woods Group’s long-term banking partner.

Ian Scarr, Managing Director of Woods Group and new CEO of Valldata, says of the acquisition:

We are thrilled to bring Valldata and its reputation for excellence into the Woods Group, reinforcing our commitment to the charity and not-for-profit sector through targeted investment. Together, we offer many years of experience and a team of over 175 talented and dedicated experts, the combination of which provides a sector-leading supplier that has a pedigree like no other for supporting charities in their vital work.

The 100% acquisition is effective as of 31st August 2017 and sees Valldata acquired from the VRD Group, which has streamlined and strengthened the company since its buy out in May 2016.

Scott Gray steps down as CEO of Valldata, remaining CEO of the VRD Group and Rapidata Services. He says of the Valldata sale:

I have enjoyed working with the fantastic team at Valldata, getting to know the business and the needs of their clients. The not-for-profit market has significantly changed over the past couple of years and this brings pressures to suppliers to adapt too. It became clear that to grow Valldata, further investment was required and joining forces with Woods Group presents a great opportunity for the company, the staff and the sector, it’s an extremely positive move for all parties involved. Rapidata remains on hand as a strategic partner and I look forward to continuing to work alongside Valldata and to building new relationships with the Woods Group team.

Carmen Peacock, Structured Finance Group, Santander Corporate & Commercial, says:

We are delighted to be able to support Ian and the wider management team at Woods Group as they make this transformational acquisition. Santander has supported the business since 2014 and holds the executive team in the highest regard. They have continued to successfully invest for growth and, with the integration of Valldata, the firm is set to become a leading player in the UK charities sector.

Woods Group and Valldata will continue to operate as independent brands with a joint move to a new, purpose-built headquarters planned for summer 2018; the two companies branding remains under review and it is yet to be decided whether a new brand will be created. Prior to the move to a new HQ the group will likely introduce some partnership working across teams where this will benefit service provision to clients.

Ian Scarr, Managing Director of Woods Group is appointed the new CEO of Valldata. Valldata’s General Manager, Steve Casey, will continue to manage day to day service operations to ensure consistent quality and standards for clients, while working with the Woods Group management team to build on the combined future offering. He says:

Valldata has been a cornerstone of the charity service industry for 30 years. An intense period of management changes and transition in recent years has helped ensure our services, some of which are unique, have continued to support many of the UK’s largest charities. As we move into this new exciting stage of our development, we will be able to offer our charity clients an even greater experience thanks to the benefits that being part of the Woods Group will bring.