Voluntary action can generate deep loyalties, commitments and high hopes for what it can achieve among different stakeholders. However, the everyday realities of voluntary action are not well understood, allowing unrealistic ideals to influence how different actors understand the sector. Challenging existing academic, policy and practice conceptions, this book develops a realistic and sophisticated understanding of how voluntary action works in practice. Drawing on case studies from a long-term study of voluntary and community activities in England, it outlines the development of voluntary action over time and presents a nuanced theoretical perspective on the complex and contested nature and dynamics of voluntary action.About the Author: Rob Macmillan is Principal Research Fellow at the Centre for Regional Economic and Social Research (CRESR), Sheffield Hallam University.