Automotive charity BEN has been awarded a two-star rating in the Sunday Times Best Companies to Work For 2012.

The award which placed BEN as one of the country’s best not-for-profit organisations was presented to HR Director, Sara Howard at a special ceremony by Best Companies director, Glenn Dimelow.

In total 1,082 organisations entered for this year’s awards and places were determined based on employee feedback on areas ranging from leadership and management vision to wellbeing and personal development.

Howard said: “This is the first year that BEN has entered these awards and to have been placed at all is a great achievement.

“To receive a two-star rating is really thrilling and places BEN in the top third of participating organisations.

“It’s made all the more pleasing by the fact it’s based on a staff satisfaction survey which shows that our colleagues think that BEN is an outstanding organisation to work for.”

The Sunday Times Best Companies list is an annual celebration of the best small, mid-size and big workplaces in the UK.

BEN is the UK’s dedicated occupational charity looking after past and present employees of the automotive and allied industries in times of need.

Top AM100 dealer group Sytner claimed the bronze position in Sunday Times ‘Top 25 Best Big Companies To Work For’ list.