Skip to main content
  • Book
  • © 2019

100 Years of NCVO and Voluntary Action

Idealists and Realists

Palgrave Macmillan
  • Examines for the first time the history of the NCVO covering all of its 100 years, during which time it was at the heart of key developments in the charity sector
  • Provides a clearer understanding of how the voluntary sector got to where it is today, and what the challenges and opportunities are for the future
  • Taps into the growing interest worldwide in the voluntary sector, charity and volunteering among policy makers, practitioners and academics

Buy it now

Buying options

eBook USD 29.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book USD 37.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Other ways to access

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check for access.

Table of contents (11 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-xxii
  2. Introduction

    • Justin Davis Smith
    Pages 1-7
  3. Setting Up

    • Justin Davis Smith
    Pages 9-28
  4. Early Years

    • Justin Davis Smith
    Pages 29-56
  5. Out of Adversity

    • Justin Davis Smith
    Pages 57-74
  6. Warfare and Welfare

    • Justin Davis Smith
    Pages 75-100
  7. Marking Time

    • Justin Davis Smith
    Pages 101-127
  8. Losing Ground

    • Justin Davis Smith
    Pages 129-165
  9. Recovery and Challenge

    • Justin Davis Smith
    Pages 167-206
  10. A Golden Age?

    • Justin Davis Smith
    Pages 207-236
  11. Big Society and Beyond

    • Justin Davis Smith
    Pages 237-264
  12. Conclusion: Idealists and Realists

    • Justin Davis Smith
    Pages 265-283
  13. Back Matter

    Pages 285-305

About this book

This book explores the rich history of voluntary action in the United Kingdom over the past 100 years, through the lens of the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO), which celebrates its centenary in 2019. From its establishment at the end of the First World War, through the creation of the Welfare State in the middle of the twentieth century, to New Labour and the Big Society at the beginning of this century, NCVO has been at the forefront of major developments within society and the voluntary movement. The book examines its many successes, including its role in establishing high-profile charities such as Age Concern, the Youth Hostels Association, and National Association of Citizens’ Advice Bureaux. It charts the development of closer relations with the state, resulting in growing awareness of the value of voluntary action, increased funding, and beneficial changes to public policy, tax and charity law. But it also explores the criticisms NCVO has faced, in particular that by pursuing a partnership agenda and championing professionalisation, it has contributed to an erosion of the movement’s independence and distinctiveness.


Authors and Affiliations

  • Cass Business School, City, University of London, London, UK

    Justin Davis Smith

About the author

Justin Davis Smith is Senior Lecturer at the Centre for Charity Effectiveness at Cass Business School, City, University of London, UK. He was previously Director of the Institute for Volunteering Research, Chief Executive of Volunteering England, and Executive Director of NCVO. He has previously co-edited An Introduction to the Voluntary Sector (1995), and authored The Attlee and Churchill Administrations and Industrial Unrest (1990).

Bibliographic Information

  • Book Title: 100 Years of NCVO and Voluntary Action

  • Book Subtitle: Idealists and Realists

  • Authors: Justin Davis Smith

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-02774-2

  • Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan Cham

  • eBook Packages: History, History (R0)

  • Copyright Information: The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s) 2019

  • Softcover ISBN: 978-3-030-02773-5Published: 15 March 2019

  • eBook ISBN: 978-3-030-02774-2Published: 14 May 2019

  • Edition Number: 1

  • Number of Pages: XXII, 305

  • Number of Illustrations: 14 b/w illustrations

  • Topics: Popular Science in History, History of Britain and Ireland, Social History, Cultural History, Political History

Buy it now

Buying options

eBook USD 29.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book USD 37.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Other ways to access