Voluntary and community welfare

Abstract

Voluntary organisations and community groups have long been involved providing welfare support and services in different fields, although over time their relationships with state, commercial and informal welfare have changed. It is unlikely that their role in the mixed economy of welfare will diminish in the near future. This chapter provides an outline of the nature and scope of voluntary and community welfare, a historical overview of its role, and examines the current context, challenges and prospects faced by voluntary organisations and community groups.