Volunteering, Research and the Test of Experience

This book presents a milestone in volunteering research, offering rare and authentic insights. As an edited collection of short memoirs, it tracks the development of knowledge and understanding about volunteering during the lifetime of the Institute for Volunteering Research (IVR). The memoirs written by those who were directly involved in IVR describe the growth of the body of knowledge on volunteering, the improvement of evidence to stimulate and underpin policy and practice, and theoretical and conceptual advances.

‘What a joy to read. This book acts as a reminder of some of the seminal pieces of research in volunteering, still used by practitioners today and carried out by the biggest names in the field, all through the much-loved Institute for Volunteering Research. There is a steely edge though especially where essays look towards potential areas of research; often reflecting that these essential questions haven’t changed even whilst policy positions have.’

— Ruth Leonard, Chair of the UK’s Association of Volunteer Managers (AVM)

‘An insightful read reflecting the ebbs and flows of volunteering policy and practice. It also highlights the resilience of an organisation and those connected to it who believe in volunteering and the power of research to extend our understanding about a phenomenon that is timeless and yet ever changing.’

— Wendy Osborne BA OBE, Senior Consultant, International Association for Volunteer Effort (IAVE)