Hardly anyone can have failed to pick up on the recent flurry of stories in the national press about the Big Society, sparked off by Dame Elisabeth Hoodless's remarks that funds for volunteers are disappearing at an alarming rate, and that this is undermining the very idea of a "Big Society". At the same time, under the government's…

One hundred ninety-seven volunteers were surveyed to assess community development knowledge and skill gains and community involvement and community building behavior from participation in a Master Gardener program. Though the program was intended to disseminate horticultural information, it was found to have a serendipitous effect on community…

This document lists resources for and about volunteerism in the United States, especially in rural areas. The largest section of the paper is an annotated bibliography that contains 48 citations of books and articles. The articles listings are subdivided into the following categories: (1) career building and service learning; (2) building…

Increasing demands for human services and current government fiscal policies may make volunteerism the major way of improving the individual living conditions and society as a whole. Extension agents are in the front line of persons capable of developing volunteerism at the local level. They have a direct link with local citizens and are familiar…

This document is intended to assist local authorities in England and Wales who are interested in forming local strategic partnerships (LSPs) with the community and voluntary sectors. Section 1 presents the following guidelines for LSPs when developing a community strategy to meet local priorities: (1) have each local area prepare a plan to improve…