For the first time a charity has topped The Sunday Times 100 Best Companies to Work For list.

The champion this year is P3 which has spent 40 years working in some of the most deprived areas of the UK helping vulnerable people rebuild their lives through its services and long-term support.

Last year's winner Beaverbrooks could not match P3's supportive, inclusive culture which promotes control, choice and independence for staff as well as clients, reports Times Online.

P3 chief executive Martin Kinsella told Times Online: "People who come to work for us do not want to make a million pounds or be the next X Factor winner but to do something to make a difference. We have made it a great place to work. It is about a conscious effort to make it as good as it can be for no other reason than it makes sense. It's not rocket science."

See below for the Top 10 and go to Times Online for the full table.

The Sunday Times 100 Best Companies to Work For 2010

1) P3 - Charity

2) Luminus - Community housing

3) Beaverbrooks the Jewellers - Jewellery retailer

4) Office Angels - Recruitment consultancy

5) Napp Pharmaceutical Holdings - Pharmaceuticals

6) New Charter Housing Trust Group - Housing association

7) W L Gore & Associates - Creative technologies

8) Sewell Group - Retail & estates management

9) Richmond Group - Financial services

10) Lindum Group - Construction & development