COVID-19 and the Voluntary and Community Sector in the UK

"A fascinating and thoughtful account of the most disruptive period of the voluntary and community sector’s recent history that skilfully weaves together a broad sweep of evidence and perspectives." Karl Wilding, University of Kent

“COVID-19 was a global health disaster, but the social action it stimulated has been a blessing for the research community, breathing new life into age-old research questions. A who’s who list of leading voluntary and community sector researchers, the book’s authors have done a superb job drawing out key lessons from the pandemic and what they might mean for the future.” Richard Harries, Institute for Community Studies

“This timely collection explores the varying ways the voluntary and community sectors have responded to COVID-19. It covers a wealth of materials from across the UK, making it a valuable contribution.” Marjorie Mayo, Goldsmiths, University of London

“This wide-ranging collection offers crucial insights to the role the UK voluntary sector played in the COVID-19 response, and what this tells us about the future role of the sector.” Markus Ketola, University of Edinburgh

"The chapters provide useful fine-grained detail on the diversity of the voluntary sector, from the large national organizations to ‘hyperlocal’ ones, from mutual aid to community business and social enterprise sectors." Social Policy & Administration

James Rees is Reader at the Institute for Community Research and Development (ICRD) at the University of Wolverhampton.

Rob Macmillan is Principal Research Fellow at the Centre for Regional Economic and Social Research (CRESR), Sheffield Hallam University.

Chris Dayson is Professor of Voluntary Action, Health and Wellbeing, Sheffield Hallam University.

Christopher Damm is Research Fellow at the Centre for Regional Economic and Social Research (CRESR), Sheffield Hallam University.

Claire Bynner is Lecturer in Social Justice and Community Action at the Moray House School of Education and Sport, University of Edinburgh.

Chapter 1: Introduction – James Rees, Rob Macmillan, Chris Dayson, Chris Damm, Claire Bynner

Chapter 2: Mobilising the Voluntary Sector: Critical Reflections From Across the Four UK Nations

Nick Acheson, Laura Crawford, Jurgen Grotz, Irene Hardill, Denise Hayward, Eddy Hogg, Rhys Dafydd Jones, Matthew Linning, Sally Rees, Alasdair Rutherford, Ewen Speed, Amy McGarvey, Catherine Goodall and Joanna Stuart, Debbie Maltman

Chapter 3: Bouncing Back: The Employment of Sector Attributes To Recover From Crises

Tony Chapman, Durham University

Chapter 4: The Impact of COVID-19 on the Formation and Dissolution of Charitable Organisations

Diarmuid McDonnell (University of the West of Scotland), Alasdair Rutherford (University of Stirling) and John Mohan (University of Birmingham).

Chapter 5: Paying the Price of “Doing Good” in the Face of Crisis

Sarah Smith (Nottingham Trent University), Tracey Coule (Sheffield Hallam University), Daniel King (Nottingham Trent University)

Chapter 6: Shifting Sands: Challenges and Opportunities for the Voluntary Sector During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Jon Burchell, Joanne Cook, Harriet Thiery, Erica Ballantyne, Fiona Walkley, Silviya Nikolova, Daniel Howden

Chapter 7: At the COVID-19 Frontlines: Voluntary Sector Support for Refugee and Migrant Families in Glasgow – Maureen McBride, Elaine Feeney, Clara Pirie and Jane Cullingworth

Chapter 8: The Value and Contribution of BAME-Led Organisations During and Beyond COVID-19 – Abigail Woodward, Beth Patmore, Gilli Gliff, Chris Dayson

Chapter 9: The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Advocacy Work of Voluntary Sector Organisations in Wales

Elizabeth Cookingham Bailey (University of South Wales), E. Katharina Sarter (University of South Wales), and Vita Terry (IVAR)

Chapter 10: Community Ownership of Physical Assets in Changing Times: The Context of Opportunities in the Pandemic – Carina Skropke

Chapter 11: The Impact and Effect of COVID-19 on BAME Led Voluntary Sector Organisations: Resilience and New Ways of Working- Karl Murray

Chapter 12: Voluntary Sector Organisations, Older People and Healthy Ageing During the COVID-19 Pandemic – Chris Dayson, Emma Bimpson, Angela Ellis-Paine, Joseph Chambers, Jan Gilbertson and Helen Kara

Chapter 13: Emotions in the Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise Sector During the Pandemic – Vita Terry, Houda Davis, and Marilyn Taylor

Chapter 14: The Experience of Community-Led Businesses During the COVID-19 Pandemic – Sophie Reid

Chapter 15: The Response of Voluntary Community Sports Clubs to COVID-19 – Geoff Nichols, Lindsay Findlay-King, Fiona Reid

Chapter 16: The Latent Strength of Community Ties: How Voluntary Sector Infrastructure Organisations Utilised Their Local Networks in Response to COVID-19 – Lucy Smith

Chapter 17: How Many of Us Had Pandemic in Our Risk Register? A Snapshot of Experiences of Community Buildings During the First Lockdown of 2020 – Ann Hindley and John Wilson

Chapter 18: Leading Through a Pandemic – Patricia Armstrong and Jayne Stuart

Chapter 19: Afterword – Margaret Harris