The Conservation Volunteers has seen its income drop by 40 per cent for the financial year ending 2011/12, due mainly to the loss of its market share in welfare-to-work schemes with the introduction of the Work Programme.

Recently rebranded from BTCV, the Conservation Volunteers’ (TCV) income plummeted by £15.7m from £39.4m in 2010/11 to £23.7m in 2011/12.

The bulk of its income drop was due to a loss of £12.2m in training income from employment contracts run by its subsidiary TCV Employment and Training Services, which had delivered the previous government’s welfare-to-work scheme New Deal as a prime contractor. 

With the introduction of the Work Programme in 2011, TCV delivered services as a sub-contractor rather than a prime contractor and lost a substantial amount in contract income.

Its accounts state that: “A significant shift to larger, cash-intense contracts in the welfare-to-work market impacted significantly on the financial performance of the charity during the year.”

Along with contract income, TCV’s grant income also fell sharply by 50 per cent from £10m in 2010/11 to £5m in 2011/12.

In response to declining income, the charity undertook a significant restructuring exercise over this period which led to 137 job losses, taking its total employee numbers to 605.

Since March 2012, TCV has undertaken a number of significant changes to its staff, including the appointment of a new group chief executive, Julie Hopes who replaced long-standing chief executive Tom Flood. The charity also hired a new business development director, retail development director and new fundraising staff.

In 2012, the charity rebranded from the British Conservation Volunteers to the Conservation Volunteers.