A WILTSHIRE charity company has been chosen to help with a university course developed for top UK charity executives.

Mark Freeman, an expert in charity outsourcing and financial management practices, and chief executive of Wootton Bassett-based outsourcing company Charity Business, has been invited to contribute to South Bank University's new Master in Voluntary Administration course.

It has been designed specifically for the charity sector and is intended to become the principle management qualification for voluntary sector chief executives.

With Mr Freeman on board, it will be the first time outsourcing for charities will have been dealt with academically.

Charity Business was set up to provide specialist shared and consultancy services to charities and voluntary organisations.

"I feel privileged to be contributing to the South Bank University MVA," said Mr Freeman.

"At a time when the pressure for charity accountability and transparency has never been so high, this is a constructive and practical way to strengthen the strategic management capabilities of the sector."

Professor Paul Palmer, director of the University's Centre for Government and Charity Management, said outsourcing is an essential tool for modern charity management which should be used more widely in the sector.

"The new MVA is all about providing learning that can be applied directly and practically in the charity workplace," he said.

"Outsourcing is a proven business tool that has long been successful in the corporate world.

"However, in the voluntary sector it is still viewed with a certain amount of scepticism, mainly because of an ongoing lack of understanding at the senior management level."

Mr Freeman will begin working with Prof Palmer and his team at the South Bank University in the coming academic year.

The centre at South Bank has been offering a range of qualifications for charity staff and advisers over the past 10 years; over 40 people have gone through their programmes.

For more information about the South Bank University MVA course, call Prof Paul Palmer on 020 7815 6194 or email palmerp@sbu.ac.uk.

Details of Charity Business and the services it offers can be found on the website www.charitybusiness.com or by phoning 01793 855699.