Issues and challenges for records management in the charity and voluntary sector
| Published date | 01 December 2004 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/09565690410566765 |
| Date | 01 December 2004 |
| Pages | 111-115 |
| Author | Elizabeth Dawson,Rosie Dodd,Jill Roberts,Catherine Wakeling |
| Subject Matter | Information & knowledge management |
Issues and challenges for
records management in
the charity and
voluntary sector
Elizabeth Dawson
Rosie Dodd
Jill Roberts and
Catherine Wakeling
The authors
Elizabeth Dawson is a Consultant Archivist, Archive
Consultancy and Research, Teddington, UK.
Rosie Dodd is Archivist and Records Manager, Oxfam,
Oxford, UK.
Jill Roberts is Archivist, The Leonard Cheshire Archive,
Ashby de la Zouch, UK.
Catherine Wakeling is Archivist and Records Manager,
United Society for the Propagation of the Gospel, London, UK.
Keywords
Records management, Charities, Voluntary organizations,
United Kingdom
Abstract
This article focuses attention on the charity and voluntary sector
in the UK. It provides an overview of the nature of the sector and
the position of records management within it. Two short case
studies present examples of records management work and
describe solutions to specific issues achieved with limited
resources. Finally, challenges facing records management in the
sector are discussed, along with reasons for its vulnerability.
Electronic access
The Emerald Research Register for this journal is
available at
www.emeraldinsight.com/researchregister
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is
available at
www.emeraldinsight.com/0956-5698.htm
The charity and voluntary sector is a continually
evolving and dynamic element in public life in the
UK. It operates alongside the public and business
sectors and provides an avenue for citizens to make
a contribution to the well-being of society. This
article aims to give some insight into the nature of
the sector, as it is much more varied than is
generally appreciated, and provides an overview of
the role and position of records management. Case
studies examine the methods that have made an
impact at two major charities, despite limited
resources, and note the issues created by this
situation. Finally, challenges facing charity and
voluntary organisations are discussed, some of
which are unique to the sector.
The charity/voluntary sector in the UK
Diverse is probably the most apt description for
the charitable and voluntary sector in the UK.
Individual organisations can be tiny or large and
their geographical focus ranges from the local
through national to international activity. They
operate under a wide variety of governing
documents, including trust deeds, royal charters,
memorandum and articles of association
(incorporation as a company) and they can also be
unincorporated associations or societies. Sources
of revenue are donations from the public and
corporate bodies, legacies, income from trust
funds, investment income, grants from other
bodies to fund specific work or a mixture of these.
The incomes of individual organisations range
from very small amounts to millions of pounds a
year. Some involve large numbers of people in their
activity, while others involve very few. The public
perception of an organisation can be high in local,
national or international arenas, while others have
little public profile.
The sector is active across a wide range of fields,
including social welfare, disability and special
needs, medical research, medical care, education,
religion, the environment, animal welfare, culture,
heritage, science, human rights and international
development. Many organisations are directly
engaged in providing services or undertaking
research, but others fulfil their aims by awarding
grants from their funds to enable others to
undertake the necessary work. Some are
campaigning organisations, which attempt to
achieve improvements in the area they are
interested in by seeking to change public attitudes
about what is acceptable or seeking legislation to
deal with the issue.
Records Management Journal
Volume 14 · Number 3 · 2004 · pp.111-115
qEmerald Group Publishing Limited · ISSN 0956-5698
DOI 10.1108/09565690410566765
The authors are all members of the Charity Archivists
and Records Managers Group (CHARM).
111
To continue reading
Request your trial