The Voluntary Action History Society is building on previous activities and by setting up an international network of researchers working on transnational histories of voluntary action.
We define this broadly to include:
- Comparative study of voluntary action in different countries/regions;
- History of international organisations;
- Study of transnational movements or networks of people, ideas and funds.
Melanie Oppenheimer, Colin Rochester and Bernard Harris at the LSE celebrating 20 years of the VAHS
Voluntary Action includes the study of all activity taking place outside the sphere of governments or the private/for-profit sectors, including but not only: charities, philanthropic or civil society associations; humanitarianism and benevolence; religious organisations and missionary societies; mutual aid and friendly societies; non-governmental organisations (NGOs); sports, leisure and social clubs and societies; cultural and educational associations, museums and galleries; voluntary medical, social or community work; campaigning, fundraising and volunteering.
For more on our approach to transnational history, see a short essay written for the blog on this website.
We are always looking for partners both inside and outside the UK. Activities may include:
- Collaborative research projects and publications
- Organisation of workshops or conferences in the UK and outside the UK
- Informal advice regarding international funding opportunities or overseas archives
- Applications to fund collaborative work, e.g. Leverhulme Trust International Networks
In the autumn of 2011, we put out a call for expressions of interest and received an encouraging response. While the establishment of this network is at an early stage, we already have more than 40 members. Around half of these are based in the UK, but we also have members in Australia, Canada, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, France, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Sweden and the USA.
Our network members page gives a short profile of those members who are happy to be contacted directly. Others are kept informed by email via a moderated listserv. There is no formal fee to become members of the network, but we do encourage joining the VAHS as we are a voluntary group and it is primarily membership fees that support our work in organising this network.
We will continue to post up-to-date information about the the network on these pages. However, if you want to make sure you hear all the latest news and discussions, you will need to be signed up to the listserv. You can do this by contacting:
Georgina Brewis (Institute of Education, University of London, UK) 
Carmen Mangion (Birkbeck College, University of London, UK)
