Volunteering in the United Kingdom

Strong claims are frequently made about the extent and benefits of voluntary action. Stakeholders vigorously argue that volunteering can be expanded, and that what William Beveridge referred to as the "spirit of social action" can be mobilised in the collective good. However, such contentions are often loosely based in evidence. Volunteering is frequently invoked as an "essential renewable resource" for social development, but is it a universal one? Voluntary action - who does what, where, and how much they do - is highly stratified, yet little attention is paid to socioeconomic variations in participation. Claims made about volunteering range from very broad statements about its ability to support a healthy democracy to deterministic propositions about its assured benefits for health and well-being, civic engagement, employability, and social capital. Volunteering has become an object of public policy, and rates of citizen engagement are brandished as an index of social success. However, whether governments can take the credit for volunteering levels is highly debatable. Engagement depends on individuals' resources and attitudes, on opportunities to volunteer, and on individuals' changing life circumstances. Considerable hopes are invested in volunteering, but can it bear the weight of expectations thrust upon it? This book provides an informed understanding of the character, distribution and impacts of volunteering. It offers a balanced account of evidence for the benefits of volunteering, and presents a critical and dispassionate assessment of the likelihood of spreading the 'spirit of service' throughout the population.