Big Help Out launches with 100 days to go until Coronation
Melanie May | 27 January 2023 | News
With 100 days to go until the Coronation weekend, Bear Grylls and charities from across the UK are today launching the Big Help Out.
Charities including the Scouts, the Royal Voluntary Service, Rotary, and the National Trust are behind the event, which will take place on Monday 8 May – the Bank Holiday of the Coronation weekend. It is also supported by the Together Coalition and NCVO.
The Big Help Out will encourage people to try volunteering for themselves and support their local areas. The aim is to use volunteering to bring communities together and create a lasting volunteering legacy from the Coronation Weekend.
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Launching the Big Help Out, Chief Scout, Bear Grylls said:
“Volunteering has always been a huge part of what makes this country great – from families looking after evacuees during WW2 to neighbours looking out for each other during the pandemic. But it’s not just in times of crisis that we step up. Volunteering – whether formal or informal – is what powers our communities from Scout leaders to football coaches, collecting the shopping for an elderly neighbour to helping out at the school fete.
“The Big Help Out will put volunteering centre stage for a day and give people who want to volunteer easy ways to join in. We are delighted to be a central part of the Coronation weekend, particularly given The King and The Queen Consort’s long history of support for volunteering. So please save the date – Monday 8 May – and join us the Big Help Out in your community.”
The charities behind the Big Help Out have set out its three core parts:
- A public awareness campaign to raise understanding of the personal and societal benefits of volunteering.
- The creation of opportunities to join in in every community in the country on 8 May – a chance to take part in taster sessions and give volunteering a go. Communities can also set up their own events locally.
- Longer-term opportunities to sign up to volunteer with opportunities made easily accessible via www.thebighelpout.org.uk
Catherine Johnstone CBE, CEO of Royal Voluntary Service said:
“This is a wonderful opportunity for everyone to come together and have a go at volunteering. Whether it’s your first time, or you are an experienced volunteer, The Big Help Out will make it easy to get involved in something that matches your interests and fires your imagination. I hope it inspires many thousands of people to explore what volunteering has to offer them and their communities. Royal Voluntary Service is delighted to be part of this exciting initiative.”
Sarah Vibert, CEO of NCVO added:
“We are proud to be part of The Big Help Out which will showcase that volunteering is for everyone, in every community. There are an amazingly diverse range of organisations which all have unique, life-enhancing volunteering opportunities. From the largest well-known charities to the smallest, grassroots organisations, to the public sector, volunteers, all are critical to supporting people and communities. We hope everyone will get involved and find out how volunteering is not only really fulfilling, but also offers the chance to meet new people, learn new skills and make a positive impact on the community you live in.”
About Melanie May
Melanie May is a journalist and copywriter specialising in writing both for and about the charity and marketing services sectors since 2001. She can be reached via thepurplepim.com.