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The voluntary sector is a major and growing force in British society. Since the early 1980s its importance has grown, following a series of shifts in public and social policy, and involving major transfers of provision from the statutory sector. Recent estimates suggest that the voluntary sector has grown to represent more than 250,000 organisations, operating with a paid workforce of between 100,000 and 200,000 staff and disposing of an income of some A117 billion.
Yet can the sector survive the mounting pressures and expectations placed upon it in the present climate? Issues such as management, effectiveness, accountability and the impact of the contract culture on agencies' philanthropic and community values are of critical concern to voluntary sector managers, practitioners and policy analysts alike. This book, which originates from a symposium of academics and key practitioners in the field, explores and debates such vital questions, offering essential reading for all those involved in the future of the voluntary and charitable sector.
