Working in the UK Voluntary Sector

Abstract

The UK voluntary sector, like its counterparts all over the world, is moving into the spotlight. Commercial organisations willingly link their names with charitable causes in a variety of ingenious schemes. Mass fund-raising events attract thousands of participants, spectators and donors. 'Active citizens' who volunteer in their free time are praised by politicians and members of the royal family. Policies for 'community care' assume the involvement of voluntary agencies as 'partners' with the statutory sector (Billis and Harris 1986; Griffiths 1988). At the same time, there is official concern about the supervision and control of the estimated quarter million registered charities which together have an annual turnover well in excess of £10 billion (HMSO 1989; Woodfield 1987). Voluntary agencies themselves have contributed to, and are in turn affected by, their higher public profile. The National Council for Voluntary Organisations [NCVO] and the Volunteer Centre have long been providing coordination, support and representation services for voluntary groups and agencies. More recently, the Charities Aid Foundation [CAF] has in creased its output of information about the funding of the voluntary sector. Specialist interest groups have been established such as the Institute of Charity Fundraising Managers [ICFM], the Charities Tax Reform Group, the Association of Chief Executives of National Voluntary Organisations, and the Association of Charitable Foundations [ACF].