The Broadcasters’ Declaration, signed by the BBC, Sky, Channel Four, Five, ITN, ITV, Discovery, Flextech, GMTV and the independent broadcasters’ body PACT, aims to help The Community Channel give a louder voice to the voluntary sector by raising its profile and providing information to the public.

Caroline Diehl, chief executive of the Media Trust which initiated the channel, said: “No other country in the world can boast of a media industry that is big and brave enough to work together to help the charity and voluntary sector in this way. Their vision, together with our funding from the Home Office Active Communities Unit, has helped the Community Channel become a beacon for the positive action in the digital world.”

The announcement comes at the same time as news that The Community Channel has been scheduled to air on BBC Freeview breakfast from 6am to 9am, a move that is expected to provide a further boost to its already expanding viewing figures. Currently broadcasting 24 hours on Sky and Telewest, The Community Channel says that its audience has grown to one million in less than a year and it receives 4,000 responses from viewers every week.