Bradford-based debt counselling charity Christians Against Poverty has scooped a top place in a survey of the country’s best places to work.

Competing in the not-for-profit category, CAP was judged second place after employees surveyed anonymously spoke overwhelmingly in favour of their good working conditions.

Founder and International Director John Kirkby and UK Chief Executive Matt Barlow also won the Best Leader award, for the second year running in the Sunday Times Best Companies Awards.

Mr Kirkby, who began the charity in 1996 from his Bradford home, said: “We’re humbled to be recognised so publicly for the way we do things here.

“We’ve always felt that our employees are our most valuable asset so we continually look to put them in a situation where they feel valued and motivated. Many of our clients are coping with very difficult circumstances and they are relying on us to do our best.”

In the anonymous staff survey, 96 per cent said they were excited about where the charity is going, 97 per cent felt proud to work for CAP and 99 per cent felt they were making a positive difference to the world.

As part of their employment package, all employees receive a minimum of 25 days annual leave, a generous maternity leave, good pension and use of a staff gym.

There are also “well-being days” which encourage healthy eating and exercise.

Christians Against Poverty is a UK charity whose aim is to lift people out of poverty – through debt counselling, financial education and support for unemployed people.

It has 218 church-based debt centres across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, backed up by the financial know-how of CAP’s head office in Jubilee Mill, North Street, Bradford.

Up to 94 per cent of its employees said that they were inspired by the leadership, 99 per cent said that the organisation was run on sound moral principles and 91 per cent said senior managers listened.

The ‘Best Companies to Work For’ lists have been running since 2001 to measure and acknowledge excellence in workplace engagement.

Each year hundreds of organisations from a wide range of industries use the employee survey to measure the engagement of their employees.