The young professional movement BeyondMe has launched its latest cohort of 50 teams which will support charities, which it has named after Civil Society Media’s founder Daniel Phelan.

BeyondMe made the announcement as it launched its latest cohort on Saturday, at a bootcamp for young professionals who will lead teams of volunteers to help charities. 

BeyondMe establishes teams of seven colleagues at companies working in areas such as law and financial services, who together donate their time, skills and money for a year to a charity they choose, with matched funding and mentoring of a senior sponsor in their business.

On Saturday it launched 50 more teams of seven from across the UK, including from leading businesses Deloitte, EY and PwC. Teams are launched in cohorts, with each cohort named after an “inspiring social sector leader”. Previous names are Stephen Lloyd cohort and Leyla Hussein.

A further 36 charity partners have been added to BeyondMe’s 50 strong portfolio.

Since 2011, BeyondMe has created 100 teams of young professionals donating over £500,000 of funding and 12,000 hours of business skills to charities and social enterprises.

Daniel Phelan passed away earlier this year at the age of 58. He launched Civil Society Media in 1990 and grew it into the only media, events and training company dedicated to serving the UK’s voluntary sector.

Cathy Phelan, Daniel's widow, said: "I'm thrilled and touched by the fact that they chose to name the latest cohort after my husband.

"Dan dedicated his life to improving the effectiveness and efficiency of charities, and he would have been honoured to have his name attached to an initiative which will further that work."