ABSTRACT
The voluntary sector is a complex animal. It spans multi-millionpound philanthropic charities through to small, local community groups. Analysing what will happen to the sector over a period even as short as five years is inevitably daunting. The starting point of this chapter is that social trends inevitably impact upon the sector in a variety of ways. The economy influences funding, government policies change the context of voluntary action, and broader cultural change will also shape its development.
