Brachers advises in merger of Kent colleges

Brachers’ commercial and commercial property teams have advised Canterbury College in its merger with East Kent College, which has resulted in the creation of the new EKC Group, a family of five separate colleges in Broadstairs, Canterbury, Dover, Folkestone and Sheppey.

Canterbury College was established in 1947, growing to become one of the largest further and higher education colleges in the South East, with two campuses in Canterbury and Sheppey. The team from Brachers advised Canterbury College’s senior staff on the commercial, financial and property aspects of the deal.

The merger with East Kent College has created a group which now serves the needs of around 15,000 students spread across five districts, and with more than 1,000 staff and a turnover of some £55m.

The group’s principal and chief executive, Graham Razey, said:

“This merger will enable our colleges to deliver the finest technical and vocational education across the whole of East Kent. It’s great news for the many students we teach who now have unparalleled flexibility to progress through our range of provision, as well as the communities we serve which I hope will benefit from the skills training and services we deliver.”

Erol Huseyin, Commercial Partner at Brachers, who led the work advising Canterbury College, said:

“This merger publisheds an exciting new chapter for the new EKC Group and indeed all of the colleges which form it. It is vital for the business community in Kent and the South East that there is a supply of skilled young people into the workforce with the best technical and specialist abilities, so the creation of the combined group with its clear vision for the future is good news for the local economy. We were delighted to advise Canterbury College in this merger.”

This content is correct at time of publication