This report is a study of the work of voluntary service co-ordinators (VSCs) : people, either paid or unpaid, whose function is to mobilise voluntary resources. The study focuses on Berkshire and examines the job as it exists in a wide variety of settings, both statutory and voluntary. One of their conclusions is that the effective mobilisation of voluntary resources often depends on the appointment of someone with this task as their specific remit. It is crucial that those who publicly urge that greater use be made of voluntary resources should also recognise the necessity of providing means to achieve the end: effective voluntary work does not come entirely free.