Acevo chief executive Stephen Bubb used his blog this week to tell the sector it owes Acevo a “big vote of thanks” for securing assurances from the three main parties that they would commit to funding the Future Jobs Fund until at least March next year.

In his blog headlined 'Future Jobs Fund: Saved!', Bubb said it was not surprising that Acevo was "rather partial to this brilliant scheme", having invented it and convinced the government to pay for it.  The scheme has already created 70,000 jobs for young people within the voluntary sector, he said, and “is essential if we are to avoid the scandal of long-term youth unemployment we saw in the 80s”.

So, after realising that while Labour has pledged to continue the scheme beyond the election, the Conservative and Liberal Democrat manifestoes were rather quieter on its future, prompting fears they might scrap it in their emergency budgets if they seized power tomorrow.

But a letter from Acevo generated positive responses from all parties; Labour would extend the Fund until 2012, the LibDems and Tories would honour existing funding until 2011.

“Quick thinking by Acevo has ensured it will continue for now,” wrote Bubb in his blog. “So the sector owes us a big vote of thanks for spotting this. Acevo: ever vigilant! Ever alert!”

3SC appoints chief executive from private sector

In other news, voluntary sector bidding consortium 3SC, which is one of the largest providers for the Future Jobs Fund, has appointed Michael O’Toole as its new chief executive.

O’Toole, business development director for the compliance division at integrated service provider Connaught, will take over this month at the helm of the 500-member consortium.