This research paper by the Constitution Society’s Lucy Atkinson considers the constitutional role of the voluntary sector, charities and state responsibilities to the sector. Through examining the UK government’s history of working in tandem with voluntary and community groups, the paper looks at the constitutional framework in which charities operate when providing essential state services.
This paper aims to complement existing studies by examining the key points of interplay between voluntary sector organisations and the UK state. Based on first-hand accounts by practitioners and a secondary literature review, it offers a new approach to the discourse, exploring the relationships between the state and sector from a constitutional perspective.
This publication presents the personal views of the author and not those of The Constitution Society, which publishes it as a contribution to debate on this important subject.