Time to Shine will be rolled out across the UK thanks to a £3.3m grant.

An initiative that empowers underemployed people to become charity leaders will be rolled out across the UK thanks to a £3.3m grant from the National Lottery Community Fund.

The Rank Foundation’s Time to Shine programme funds paid opportunities at charities for people without full-time jobs, while also filling skills and capacity gaps at the charities themselves.

The initiative was launched in Northern Ireland in 2016, and has since helped dozens of people find work placements at a wide range of third sector organisations.

One leader placed in a Belfast charity raised £800,000 in her Time to Shine year, helping turn around the fortunes of the organisation.

Time to Shine placements will now be offered across the UK thanks to the Lottery funding. Caroline Broadhurst, deputy CEO at The Rank Foundation, said: “Our partnership with The National Lottery Community Fund is a great boost for the Time to Shine Leadership Programme.

“The Rank Foundation and the Fund share a passion for bringing new talent and skills into the social sector, whilst future-proofing the role of small and medium-sized charities. This grant will help to scale Time to Shine across the UK with a wider reach than ever before.”

Joe Ferns, UK director at The National Lottery Community Fund, added: “We are delighted that National Lottery funding is continuing to support The Rank Foundation’s Time to Shine programme, which helps those experiencing underemployment to find meaningful, secure work – alongside filling important skills and capacity gaps both within charities and the wider voluntary sector.

“Now, thanks to National Lottery players, the programme will reach more people and organisations right across the UK, increasing its impact and enabling more communities to thrive.”