The Children’s Centre has made it into The Sunday Times Top 100 lists for the fourth year in succession. The Island’s leading charity for families and children is ranked 35th in the newspaper’s 100 Best Not-For-Profit Organisations To Work For published on March 17. In 2012 The Children’s Centre was included in the same list, in 2011 in the Top 100 Best Places To Work In The Public/Third Sector Sectors list, and in 2010 in the Top 100 Best Small Companies To Work For. The Sunday Times Top 100 lists are based on an employee survey in which staff are allowed to give open, honest and confidential assessments of their place of work and its management.
In its special supplement on the Top 100 lists The Sunday Times says that: ‘Its 140 staff are proud to work for The Children’s Centre, scoring 84% positive, and they say the organisation makes a positive difference in the world (87%). Work is an important part of life for Children’s Centre employees (84%, in eighth place among small organisations), but people say that they have fun too (84%).’
John Knight, Chief Executive of The Children’s Centre, said:
“This is our fourth year of achieving a Top 100 placement and 35th place is particularly pleasing when considered against the backdrop of the Island’s changing economy and subsequent pressures upon the increased volume of service delivery – and hence demand upon our staff. The totally independent views and feedback that the Top 100 survey gains from all staff who respond give us a focused insight in to their concerns, issues and celebrations. There can be no better evidence upon which any organisation can then strive to develop their employment practice for the better.”
The Children’s Centre develops, manages, and pioneers a variety of community initiatives and services aimed at enabling children, young people and families to realise their full
potential. It is an independent Manx charity – undertaking its own projects and working with others – to put children, young people, and families first.
The Children’s Centre works directly with over 1,000 children, young people and families each week. It runs vital services across the Island including play groups, nursery care and after school clubs. The charity can trace its history back to 1868 when founder Henry Bloom Noble recognised that there were a large number of destitute children living in Douglas. These children lacked housing, food, clothing and education, and it was realised that there was an urgent need to provide for their needs. While the location of the charity has changed on many occasions, it remained a children’s home for over a century. In the 1980s The Isle of Man Children’s Centre was created and provided a wide range of services for children, families and young people. The charity became The Children’s Centre in 2009.
