An international conference to commemorate The Statute of Charitable Uses of 1601, which laid the foundations for modern charity law in England, was held in Liverpool in September 2001. It was hosted by the Voluntary Action History Society and the School of History at the University of Liverpool. Delegates attended from Australia, Canada, Hungary, Sweden, the UK and the USA and represented a variety of disciplines, including Education, History, Law, Social Policy and Social Work.
Below we present a selection of articles from the conference as pdf files. These reflect this international and disciplinary variety while considering themes that cross national boundaries and demonstrate common concerns. It represents a small sample of the papers given at the conference and a little of the extensive research currently being undertaken into the history of charity and the voluntary sector.
- Kerry O’Halloran: Charity, the Law & the Public Benefit: the Legacy of the 1601 Act and the Advancement of Charitable Purposes in Northern Ireland in the 21st Century
- Philip White: Altruism and the development of charity under the law of England and Wales
- Lorie Charlesworth: The Acts of 1601: Connections Between Poor Relief and Charity in a Legal and Local Context
- Anthony McMahon: Australian Catholics and the development of professional social services in Australia
- Anne Stamper: Countrywomen in Action – Voluntary Action in the National Federation of Women’s Institutes 1917-1965 (Graphs that accompany this paper)
