  This white paper discusses recent progress in the field of evolved stars,
primarily highlighting the contributions of the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope.
It discusses the ongoing project, the \emph{Nearby Evolved Stars Survey}
(NESS), and the potential to build upon NESS in the next decade. It then
outlines a number of science cases which may become feasible with the proposed
850\,$\mu$m camera which is due to become available at the JCMT in late 2022.
These include mapping the extended envelopes of evolved stars, including in
polarisation, and time-domain monitoring of their variations. The improved
sensitivity of the proposed instrument will facilitate statistical studies that
put the morphology, polarisation properties and sub-mm variability in
perspective with a relatively modest commitment of time that would be
impossible with current instrumentation. We also consider the role that could
be played by other continuum wavelengths, heterodyne instruments or other
facilities in contributing towards these objectives.
