Charities must increase their focus on the recruitment and training of campaigners in order to effect change under prime minister Gordon Brown’s premiership, it has been suggested.

Chris Stalker, head of campaigning effectiveness at the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) has called on such not-for-profit bodies to increase their investment in both time and resources for this aspect of their activities.

He suggests that by increasing the focus on campaigning, charities will be better able to influence not only central government but also local government and the commercial sector.

"This is an exciting time for campaigning. Gordon Brown has shown that campaigning is at the top of his agenda by considering relaxing restrictions on campaigning as one of his first tasks in office," Mr Stalker stated, adding that "high profile campaigns such as the Breakthrough Breast Cancer Herceptin campaign have raised awareness of the effectiveness of campaigning".

Investment must be made to ensure that those undertaking voluntary work or filling not-for-profit jobs have the skills necessary to campaign effectively.

Recently the NCVO welcomed Breakthrough Britain, the report of the Conservatives’ Social Justice Policy Group, stating that it could "significantly advance" the on third sector policy.