The purpose of this study was to construct a typology of local voluntary organisations; to investigate the formal and informal, educational and educative impact which they make on individuals, groups and communities, and the extent and methods of transmission and the effect on the quality of life; to note the origins and characteristics of good practice; to put forward any recommendations, from the findings, on the implications for national and local policy and for training and development. 1. learning and change experienced by members and staff of a sample of 31 LVOs, sub-divided into social and group, content, occupational, political, and personal learning; transmission of LVOs' impact to individuals and communities, and the effect on the quality of life and citizenship; networking of VOs, among themselves and with statutory bodies, professionals and local business, with reference to the parts played by enabling organisations and individuals; characteristics and development of LVOs; learning in relation to LVOs' characteristics; comparison of men's and women's activities in LVOs; terminal educational age; leadership in LVOs. Categoric variables were constructed from the data of the two Surveys: forms of learning; methods and extents of transmission; strengths of links in networks; specialist/generalist VOs; inward/outward-looking VOs; dynamic/static/divergent VOs; degrees of incongruence in LVOs; leadership; participation in voluntary activities.