Stronger Together: Powering a charity merger through technology

It began with a bold merger and a clear mission: to create a stronger, more unified voice for people with lung conditions. For Ben Clarkson, now at Parkinson’s UK, it meant leading the complex integration of systems, teams, and culture, with technology at the core. The scale of the challenge was significant: backend infrastructure had to be unified, strategies aligned, and a shared culture built, just as the newly merged charity was propelled to the frontline of the Covid-19 crisis. With helpline calls quadrupling and web traffic surging fivefold, digital transformation became more than a strategic priority, it became a lifeline.

In this session, Ben reflects on how his past experience is shaping the current digital journey at Parkinson’s UK. This is a story of how tech innovation and solutions can drive engagement, progress, and lasting impact—proving that being stronger together isn’t just a principle, but a product of the right technology, used well.

Learning Objectives

• Gain practical insights into leading large-scale organisational and digital change during a complex charity merger.
• Understand how technology can act as a catalyst for organisational growth, particularly when facing increased service demand from users and beneficiaries.
• Learn how to apply digital transformation lessons across organisations to accelerate innovation and impact.