Big Society Creates Renewed Need for Charity People

LONDON, ENGLAND, January 12, 2011 (Press-News.org) Demand for third sector recruitment specialists has soared under David Cameron's plans for a Big Society, and more is being asked of the sector than ever before.

Having the right people in the right jobs to manage and motivate volunteers is becoming crucial, which has created an opportunity for Charity People to make a comeback.

Charity People http://www.charitypeople.com changed its named to People Unlimited in 2008 and reverts to its original name as of January 1st 2011. People Unlimited will become the group brand overseeing the recruitment specialist's four lines of business - Charity People, People Unlimited Care, PURE Careers and forum3.

David Lale, Chairman of the People Unlimited group said the Prime Minister's Big Society had created a clear opportunity for People Unlimited to reintroduce Charity People.

"The Big Society puts a greater reliance on charities to provide services for all, meaning they need to have the right skills on board to deliver their objectives. Charity People was a key recruiter for the sector during the 1990's and is now coming back to fill an obvious gap in the market," Mr Lale said.

And as attention turns to the Big Society, Charity People has launched V Temps, an innovative resourcing programme which matches people with temporary opportunities in the not-for-profit sector that are part-paid and part-volunteering.

Another Charity People initiative which ties in closely with one of the key principles of the Big Society doctrine is the SMaRT Scheme which sees corporate senior managers recruited as trustees. This scheme was developed as a way to create long lasting relationships between commercial and not-for-profit organisations. The SMaRT model essentially provides a vehicle to bring the skills of talented senior managers and directors onto the boards of not-for-profit organisations as Trustees for an agreed period. The scheme was successfully piloted with investment and insurance giant, Legal and General.

Paul Sais, Managing Director of the People Unlimited group said these two schemes show the wide scope of opportunities in the not-for-profit sector, and demonstrated how everyone could find ways to contribute to the Big Society.

"The Big Society creates a number of challenges for charities but also offers an opportunity for re-evaluation and identifying ways to work differently with the corporate sector. V Temps and the SMaRT Scheme are just two of our programmes which provide people with the opportunity to contribute to the not-for-profit sector and which also highlight a new approach to recruitment within the sector," Mr Sais said.

There are 1.6m paid staff in the civil society with 668,000 of them working in the voluntary sector. 30.9m people volunteer (formally and informally) at least once a year. Source: NCVO Almanac 2010. These numbers are expected to grow in 2011 to meet an increased demand for services.

Within the People Unlimited group:

- Charity People is a recruitment specialist for the third sector
- People Unlimited Care provides health and social care staff to charities, local authorities, housing associations and private clients
- PURE Careers (People Unlimited Renewable Energy) adds value to all stages of the supply chain of renewable energy projects by recruiting specialised industry professionals
- forum3 is Europe's largest not-for-profit careers, volunteering and networking event, which regularly attracts more than 10,000 people

Information for Editors
About Charity People
Charity People is an award-winning recruitment business, specialising in the not-for-profit sector with expert services that focus on careers in charities and fundraising; health and social care; housing; arts and media; and the green sector. Since 1990 Charity People has grown to become an industry figurehead and a trusted partner to the not-for-profit sector. Drawing on experience and insight of staffing, recruitment, career development and resourcing, People Unlimited has helped over 30,000 people find work with value-led organisations. Charity People helps clients plan and fulfil their staffing needs in the most cost effective and efficient way. Equally well placed to identify hard-to-find specialists or recruit large numbers of staff, Charity People has long-term client relationships with organisations that range from Age Concern, St. Mungo's, Sue Ryder Care, London Symphony Orchestra, RNID to the National Childbirth Trust.

For more information about Charity People visit http://www.charitypeople.com.

Contact
Deborah Daley
Ph: +44 (0)20 7939 7437
Email: deborahd @ peopleunlimited.co.uk