What is Charity Next?

Charity Next, established by The Prince's Charities over 10 years ago, is an initiative to improve understanding between the sectors through secondments. The scheme, managed by The Whitehall & Industry Group (WIG) since 2010, gives organisations in the not-for-profit sector the opportunity to benefit from hosting and nurturing emerging talent in the public sector through short-term, project-based secondments. Secondees have the opportunity to contribute their skills and enthusiasm to these key posts, and to experience life in another sector, in turn facilitating an exchange of expertise, building greater mutual understanding and encouraging closer working. Since its inception, Charity Next has facilitated 344 secondments and benefited more than 75 not-for-profit organisations. 

Are you a Civil Service fast streamer or potential secondee interested in finding out more about the scheme?

Visit our secondee page
  • How does the Charity Next scheme work?

    The Charity Next team at WIG

    • Seeks and partners with a wide range of UK based not-for-profit organisations, supporting a broad mix of causes with varying sizes and structures, aiming to be a truly representative sample of the breadth and diversity within the sector.
    • Supports organisations to put together viable six-month projects with tangible deliverables, offering exposure to specific skills such as commercial, digital, project delivery, finance and communications.
    • Shortlists applications and submits a longlist to the Fast Stream & Early Talent team. This takes place twice a year corresponding with two intakes in spring and autumn.
    • Works with the Civil Service to pair host applications with secondees' individual development needs.
    • Facilitates an introductory meeting between the host and secondee. 
    • Supports secondees for the duration of their placement alongside the Fast Stream and Early Talent team. 
    • Charges a brokerage fee to hosts once they are matched to a successful placement. (Secondees remain officially employed by the Civil Service throughout the duration of their secondment.)
  • Benefits of hosting
    • Benefit from the skills and ability of a talented future leader.
    • Hear from a valuable external view point that will undoubtedly bring a fresh and useful perspective into your organisation. 
    • Add a substantial and practical contribution to your organisation’s strategic and operational goals.
    • To date, 90% of participating organisations have said that a key project or service could not have been delivered without a Charity Next resource, leaving a lasting impact on host organisations and their beneficiaries.

     

    Learn more about the benefits of the scheme from Charity Next Director Lydia Garrett

  • Generalist v Specialist

    The Charity Next Scheme works with a number of Civil Service Streams such as: 

    Please click the above links for some further reading on the streams, or email the Charity Next team for more information.

List of Charity Next Partner organisations

 

Meet the Charity Next team:

  • Lydia Garrett

    Charity Next Director & Talent Manager

    Lydia is the Director of Charity Next, a programme facilitating secondments for future leaders of the public sector into the voluntary sector. She also contributes more broadly to the work of WIG’s Talent Team, organising secondments for senior individuals in the public, private and charitable spheres. Prior to joining WIG, Lydia was Project Manager at a think tank also with a mission to improve collaboration between the sectors, where she focused primarily on tackling UK financial reform and climate change. Lydia achieved a 1st- Class degree in Arabic and French and continues to use her language skills outside of WIG to support a range of organisations both in the UK and abroad, working to improve the lives of refugees. 

  • Lorna Froelich

    Talent & Charity Next Executive

    Lorna is the dedicated support for the Talent Team, helping to co-ordinate the Charity Next programme as well as our Recruitment and Mentoring services.   She is the Lead for Talent Insights: a scheme that allows 3-5 days to be spent in another sector, shadowing a peer or learning how another organisation tackles particular challenges.  As such she identifies the ideal host for candidates seeking a short insight into another sector.   Lorna is passionate about Inclusion and Diversity, and is advising on the WIG D&I Network programme of events this year.   She graduated in 2016 from the University of Greenwich, having read History and Politics.  

 

Get in touch

If you would like to find out more, speak to Charity Next team. Call us on 020 7222 1166 or email using the link below

Email us
For our first experience of a Charity Next secondee we weren't sure what to expect, but we couldn't have been happier. He adapted quickly to our workplace and produced high quality work which has been really well received by our Senior Leadership Team and Board. Jo Royden-Turner, Beanstalk

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