Navca has pledged to pay all of its staff a living wage, and plans to encourage its members to follow suit.

The living wage initiative was launched by the charity London Citizens in 2001. It campaigns for UK employers to pay staff enough to provide for themselves and their families.

Barney Mynott, head of policy and communications at Navca, said while all its staff already received a living wage, at times contracted staff did not:

"Going forward, we will ensure that organisations which we buy services from such as cleaning services or catering, pay their staff a living wage," he said.

The charity has already started paying its cleaning contractor more so its staff member who works for Navca receives the living wage.

There are over 100 accredited living wage employers, 16 are charities, including Save the Children and Unicef.

Joe Irvin, chief executive of Navca (pictured), said: “Navca supports this campaign because it tackles poverty, which is at the heart of what Navca is about. Paying the living wage lifts families out of poverty and improves quality of life. Research also shows that it is good for the businesses that support it, as it leads to improved quality of work, reduced absenteeism and improved employee recruitment and retention.

“But Navca will do more than just sign up to the campaign. We are committed to encouraging all Navca members to join this campaign and also to promote it among the 160,000 local charities that our members support.”

The living wage is an hourly rate, set independently, every year. It is calculated according to cost of living and gives the minimum pay rate required for a worker to provide their family with the essentials of life. The current living wage is above the minimum wage - in London the current rate is £8.30 per hour. Outside of London the current rate is £7.20.

The first living wage employers week is taking place from 4 to 10 November.