This book draws on the author’s extensive research experience in the voluntary sector since 2004. Much of this research was conducted while directing the Third Sector Research Centre at the University of Birmingham. The research is predominantly quantitative. Much of it involved analysis of longitudinal data sets, such as the British Household Panel Survey, to address questions such as how volunteering changes through ones life course. This book is probably the most comprehensive collection of results from these surveys. Some of this research has not been published elsewhere, for example, the analysis of a ‘civic core’ – individuals who account for a disproportionate amount of voluntary work.

The book is logically structured into four parts. Each part starts with a useful introduction and ends with a conclusion. Part I covers concepts and definitions of volunteering and trends. Typical of the book, this scholarly, nuanced but accessible discussion covers the difficulties of definition and measurement, and offers a critical commentary. Part II covers who volunteers, including diversity and inequality in volunteering, those who volunteer compared with those who don’t, variations by community, and journeys into and through volunteering. Part III covers the impacts of volunteering on employability, health, and civic engagement. Part IV discusses the implications of changes in demography, economic circumstances, and attitudes towards volunteering. It considers how volunteering could be cultivated and reviews the impact of COVID-19. The Conclusion refers back to the ‘spirit of service’ in the title, which Beveridge’s (Reference Beveridge1948) report claimed was ‘in our people’ (Reference Beveridge1948, p. 151). The logical progression of material is enhanced by cross-referencing between chapters. Extensive supporting references are included up to 2024. It is very well written.

What’s the big picture? The overall trend in volunteering is down. The ‘great majority of voluntary organisations’ (p. 47) … are small and led by volunteers. These rely on a ‘civic core’ of volunteers who provide a disproportionate amount of volunteer work. I found the same in sports volunteering. where a core of ‘stalwarts’ maintained the myriad sports clubs (Nichols, Reference Nichols2005). Women are more likely to volunteer than men. Peak ages are 16–19 (probably reflecting students in settings where volunteering is highly promoted) and the 65–74 age group, who will mainly comprise the most number of volunteers. Volunteering is associated with higher educational qualifications and socio-economic strata, especially in governance positions. Trustees are more likely to be male, especially in larger organisations. Variations by place reflect the people living in them – the more disadvantaged the area, the lower the proportion of residents engaged in volunteering. Those from higher social classes are more likely to maintain volunteering through their life course. Again, the impact of volunteering on health, employability, and civic engagement is strongly mediated by social class. For example, those in higher social classes tend to be healthier and to maintain higher levels of volunteering. Policies to increase volunteering, across successive governments, have been as much about political rhetoric as based on evidence of efficacy.

To return to Beveridge, he thought an underlying willingness to volunteer could be activated once people’s immediate needs were met through a supportive welfare state (p. 198). Beveridge’s (Reference Beveridge1948) report on voluntary action has to be understood as following his (Reference Beveridge1942) report, ‘Social Insurance and Allied Services’. This was concerned with tackling the five ‘evil giants’ of want, disease, ignorance, squalor, and idleness, and which underpinned the development of the welfare state. Thus, an erosion of the welfare state and a rise in precarious employment are likely to account for a stifling of volunteering. I would also argue that an increase in inequality will amplify the difference between social classes and negatively impact volunteering (Nichols, Reference Nichols2024), as will a hegemony of economic values over social values. As Mohan concludes, ‘the larger social question is about what sort of arrangements we want that will best sustain people in a way that enables them to engage in voluntary action, should they choose to do so’ (p. 256). In other words, how do we create the circumstances in which the spirit of volunteering will flourish? The obvious answer is to create a more equal society and reduce divisions of ethnicity, income, and between generations. This will enhance a sense of solidarity, that we are all in it together.

Why do we care about volunteering anyway? Positive impacts of volunteering may include most of the psychological rewards of paid employment (Nichols & Ralston, Reference Nichols and Ralston2012), in which case we could think of volunteering as an effort/reward balance without pay; part of the social organisation of labour (Glucksmann, Reference Glucksmann2005). However, apart from the impacts of volunteering on the individual, maybe we care because it is an expression of values which we would like to characterise society – altruism and compassion, as opposed to greed and avarice? So, valuing volunteering for its own sake reflects views on what a better society would look like? I suspect this underlies the author’s subtitle, a ‘spirit of service’.

This would be an excellent text for a course module on the voluntary sector in the UK. The module could be structured by the book chapters. Unfortunately, I don’t think many universities offer such a module, although it would be a valuable addition to any business studies degree or a degree covering social policy. Possibly this is because it’s difficult for staff with this expertise and interest to get appointments in these departments. It would be valuable background reading for policy makers, if they choose to read it! As the title implies, the focus is on the UK. A list of acronyms would be helpful, as while they are spelt out the first time they are used, this will be missed by those dipping into chapters or forgotten by those reading the whole book. Overall, it is a valuable synthesis of quantitative work on volunteering in the UK.