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The voluntary sector was central to the COVID-19 response: fulfilling basic needs, highlighting new and existing inequalities and coordinating action where the state had been slow to respond.
This book curates rigorous academic, policy and practice-based research into the response and adaptation of the UK voluntary sector during the pandemic. Contributions explore the ways the sector responded to new challenges and the longer-term consequences for the sector’s workforce, volunteers and beneficiaries.
Written for researchers and practitioners, this book considers what the voluntary sector can learn from the pandemic to maximise its contribution in the event of future crises.
The introduction provides an overview of the book’s background, aims and objectives. We particularly draw attention to the diversity of contributions in terms of career stage, viewpoint (both of academics and practitioners) and geographical location within the devolved nations. We also provide a basic grounding in the UK government’s broad response to the challenge of COVID-19, setting the response of the voluntary sector within this context. Next, we focus more narrowly on how the voluntary sector responded and the ways in which it has been impacted. We continue by thinking more expansively about the experiences of this diverse sector and the new thinking that has been generated, as well as setting out the key implications for the sector as we move into a phase of recovery and ‘normality’ as society learns to live with this new disease. Finally, we describe the structure of the book and briefly the contents of each chapter.
The voluntary sector, often working closely with public agencies, individuals or informal groups of citizens, has been central to the response to the COVID-19 pandemic, including by meeting basic needs, highlighting new needs and existing inequalities, and coordinating responses. This edited collection brings together many of the key academics, and voices from practice, carrying out new, vital and vibrant research into the impact of the pandemic on the voluntary sector in the UK, the manifold ways it has responded to new challenges and the longer-term consequences for the sector and its workforce, volunteers and beneficiaries. Collectively, we seek to document and highlight the ways the sector has responded and adapted, and what can be learnt to maximise its contribution in future crises. The book consists of 18 short and accessible chapters which together will be of wide interest to researchers, practitioners and policy makers concerned with civil society and public policy. The book offers a comprehensive account of UK-based research on the impacts on and response of the voluntary sector to the COVID-19 pandemic, by leading academics, policy makers and practitioners.
The voluntary sector, often working closely with public agencies, individuals or informal groups of citizens, has been central to the response to the COVID-19 pandemic, including by meeting basic needs, highlighting new needs and existing inequalities, and coordinating responses. This edited collection brings together many of the key academics, and voices from practice, carrying out new, vital and vibrant research into the impact of the pandemic on the voluntary sector in the UK, the manifold ways it has responded to new challenges and the longer-term consequences for the sector and its workforce, volunteers and beneficiaries. Collectively, we seek to document and highlight the ways the sector has responded and adapted, and what can be learnt to maximise its contribution in future crises. The book consists of 18 short and accessible chapters which together will be of wide interest to researchers, practitioners and policy makers concerned with civil society and public policy. The book offers a comprehensive account of UK-based research on the impacts on and response of the voluntary sector to the COVID-19 pandemic, by leading academics, policy makers and practitioners.
The voluntary sector, often working closely with public agencies, individuals or informal groups of citizens, has been central to the response to the COVID-19 pandemic, including by meeting basic needs, highlighting new needs and existing inequalities, and coordinating responses. This edited collection brings together many of the key academics, and voices from practice, carrying out new, vital and vibrant research into the impact of the pandemic on the voluntary sector in the UK, the manifold ways it has responded to new challenges and the longer-term consequences for the sector and its workforce, volunteers and beneficiaries. Collectively, we seek to document and highlight the ways the sector has responded and adapted, and what can be learnt to maximise its contribution in future crises. The book consists of 18 short and accessible chapters which together will be of wide interest to researchers, practitioners and policy makers concerned with civil society and public policy. The book offers a comprehensive account of UK-based research on the impacts on and response of the voluntary sector to the COVID-19 pandemic, by leading academics, policy makers and practitioners.
In August 2018, the UK government published its Civil society strategy for England, aiming to establish a policy agenda for creating social value. This paper reviews the strategy, critically assessing its contribution to the creation of social value, the civil society–state relationship, public sector commissioning and youth participation. By concluding with an analysis of the strategy’s language, we argue that there are risks in the strategy’s narrative positioning of voluntary action and wider civil society.
