How is the voluntary sector being shaped by global political discourse?

Challenges and opportunities faced by volunteers and non-profit organisations in light of political movements and events around the world were at the forefront of discussion across two days, as the Centre for Charity Effectiveness (CCE) at Bayes Business School hosted the 30^th annual Voluntary Sector and Volunteering Research conference.

More than 120 delegates were present to share research insights and best practices, on issues ranging from third sector infrastructure and grassroots democracy through to feminism and philanthropy – in the hope of driving social change during an age of global uncertainty.

This year has seen political elections taking place not only here in the UK but around the world. This, along with continued conflict in Ukraine and the Middle East, not to mention the aftermath of a global pandemic and ongoing cost of living crisis, has had major repercussions on the work of the voluntary sector.

On one hand, voluntary organisations and volunteering have become critical in providing care, relief and lobbying practices, working closely with public and for-profit sectors at a time of need. However, political and economic uncertainty continue to threaten the existence and capacity of some charitable organisations and volunteer movements.

The conference was convened and opened by Dr Angela Ellis Paine, Lecturer in Voluntary Sector Management.

“It was an honour to welcome academics and practitioners from all over to come together and share valuable ideas,” she said.

“Now more than ever, the voluntary sector serves a critical purpose in not only providing valuable services to those in need, but supplying effective voices of change and challenge towards governments and policymakers in the fight for social justice and democracy.

“At a time when fundraising faces stern challenges from cost of living, and when campaigning rights are being squeezes by increasing legislation, this requires strong and diverse leadership from those who are able to effectively lead, research, educate on, inspire and champion change.”

Alex Skailes, Director of the Centre for Charity Effectiveness, added her thanks to contributors.

"At the Centre of Charity Effectiveness we aspire to see a voluntary, community and social enterprise sector constantly extending its own knowledge boundaries and driving performance excellence.

"This conference sits so well with this aspiration, and we were delighted to host the two days of discourse that will enhance the voluntary sector’s relationship with its communities and its role within democracy."

The Voluntary Sector and Volunteering Research Conference 2024 was organised by the Voluntary Sector Studies Network (VSSN), in partnership with Voluntary Action Islington (VAI), and the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO). It was hosted by the Centre for Charity Effectiveness at Bayes Business School.

Sessions and speakers at the conference included contributions from:

Organising for Change: An academic and practitioner exchange(Professor Clare Saunders, Sarah Elliott, Lela Kogbara, Will McCallum, Polly Neate)

Voice of the People? Leadership, infrastructure, place and partnership(Daniel Haslam, Jane Cullingworth, Rob Macmillan, Carol Jacklin-Jarvis and James Rees, Charlotte Zealley)

Democracy and grassroots voluntary action(Jayne Humm, Angela Ellis Paine, Mandy Wilson, Ellie Munro, Rob Macmillan, Peter Wells, Lisa-Marie Giquel, Laura Fisher, Kim Ozano, Chris Dayson, Ellie Munro and Olivia Engle)

Volunteering, participation and social action(Dr Justin Davis Smith, Rebecca Nesbit, Laurie Paarlberg, Henry Allingham)

Diversity, equity and inclusion(Nayyara Tabassum, Daiga Kamerade, Daniel King, Maranda Ridgway and Juliana Mainard-Sardon, Fidele Mutwarasibo)

Panel: Recording the voluntary sector in contemporary Britain: Case studies from the 1980s and 1990s(Georgina Brewis, Henry Irving, Chris Olver and Paul Beard)

Voice of the People? Democracy, representation, and involvement (James Rees, Ian Bruce, Seth Farsides, Sue Tibballs, Chloe Hardy, Navinder Kaur & Ellen Bennett)

Measuring civil society: outcomes, impact and social value(Nayyara Tabassum, Chris Dayson and Cathy Harris, Michelle Coulton and Juliana Mainard-Sardon and Rob Macmillan)

Panel: Community development and voluntary action in international and historical contexts(Ellie Munro, Stephan Bundschuh, Tobias Meier and Andy Jolly)

Voice of the people: Women, girls, inequality and feminist practice(Lisa-Marie Giquel, Lorna Dorwick, Beverley Gilbert)

Advances in theory and method(Georgina Brewis, Jon Dean, Lesley Alborough and Ruth Hansen)

Philanthropy, volunteering and social action: an educational focus(Helen Timbrell, Alison Body and Jane Booth)

Workshop: Can't eat money(Eira Gibson and colleagues and volunteers from Holloway Neighbourhood Group)

Voice of the People? Local VCSE perspectives on democracy, representation and involvement(Ellen Bennett, Yasin Ahmed, Sophie Cloutterbuck, Christine Goodall, Navinder Kaur and Emma Whitby)

Voice of the People? Democracy, representation, and involvement(Daniel Haslam, Gabrielle Duberry, Nathan Stanley, Ellen Bennett and Beth Patmore, Oluwaferanmi Adeyemo, Jane Cullingworth)

Volunteering, participation and social action(Daiga Kamerade, Wim Maas, Anja de Waegenaere, Carolina Blàvia, Karen Smith)

Advances in theory and methods(James Rees, Jurgen Grotz, Fiona Poland, Katy Rutherford, Susanne Martikke,Meta Zimmeck)

Historical perspectives on civil society
(Haseeb Shabbir, Ann Hindley, Dovile Petreikiene, Ian Bruce)

Panel: Defining, evaluating and strengthening local civil society infrastructure in England
(Rob Macmillan, Sophie Wilson, Ben Roff, Diarmuid McDonnell, Jack Larkham, Jansev Jemal, Angela Ellis Paine)

Voice of the People? Education, voluntary action and civic learning (Haseeb Shabbir, Dyana Mason, Kaushal Sapkota, Alison Body and Emily Lau, Taylah Law)

Measuring civil society
(Ian Bruce, John Mohan, David Clifford, Fiona Couper-Kenney, Alasdair Rutherford, Diarmuid McDonnell, Charles Rahal and Alan Duggan, Kelsey MacKay, Fritz Schiltz and Philippe Vandekerckhove)

Volunteering, participation and citizenship
(Rob Macmillan, Jurgen Grotz, Ruth Leonard, Mike Locke, Anne-Marie Greene, Jenna Ward, Emily Perkins)

Workshop: Are Our Third Sector Organisations Excluding Introverts from Leadership Roles?(Jacqueline Baxter, Volker Patent and Anna Winter)

Voices and representation in UK’s Third Sector research partnerships(Amy Sanders, Jane Cullingworth, Jurgen Grotz, Claire Harewood and Anna Skeels)