Archbishop leads group asking party leaders to volunteer as part of Big Help Out
Melanie May | 7 June 2024 | News
A group of more than 50 charity, business, community and religious leaders led by the Archbishop of Canterbury are calling on party leaders to do some volunteering this weekend, as part of the Big Help Out.
The signatories are asking politicians to lead by example and take an hour out of their campaign to take part in community volunteering.
Some 6.8mn people are expected to volunteer over the weekend as part of the Big Help Out,
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Brendan Cox, who co-founded the Together Coalition with the Archbishop said,
“We’re calling on all party leaders to take off their rosettes and get off their soapboxes for an hour this weekend and take part in community volunteering as part of the Big Help Out. We’re expecting millions of people to take part and politicians can help lead by example. Volunteers are what hold our country together – from food banks to football clubs – and this weekend we hope they can take centre stage.”
Among the signatories of the letter are RSPB, the Scouts, RVS, Girl Guides, the Ramblers, businesses such as the CBI, Federation of Small Business and DPD, academics, and faith and community leaders, including the Archbishop, Iman Qari Asim and Maurice Ostro.
In the letter, leaders are also asked to take the opportunity to “set out your own vision for how you will build stronger, kinder and better connected communities, and to set out your agenda for bridging divides and bringing people together.”
More than a million opportunities to help out
There are now more than a million opportunities to volunteer available through the Big Help Out app, as well as other ways to get involved through the website and Big Help Out’s partners.
Figures from the latest NCVO Time Well Spent report show that volunteering is still 30% lower than it was before the pandemic.
Events already planned for the weekend include:
- Hand on Heart’s Big Help Out Homeless Challenge: 1000 Essential Packs, 15 Locations, 3 Days, Bringing Communities Together Nationwide.
- The Royal Voluntary Service is running their own ‘Open Doors’ campaign inviting the nation to find the right volunteering role for them across hundreds of their opportunities.
- FareShare warehouses have uploaded roles across the UK onto the app asking people to get involved and help tackle hunger in their local area.
- Thousands of students across the country will be lending a hand with their local school, supported by Votes for Schools, Guide Dogs UK, #IWill and Bookmark Reading.
- St. John Ambulance is hosting a giant collection where hundreds of volunteers will go out into their local communities to raise vital funds.
- Sport England will be encouraging local clubs to open their doors and host taster days.
- Marie Curie will be providing a range of volunteering opportunities to support a better end of life for more people, whatever the illness. They have a diverse array of roles to suit any interests, skills, time commitments, and availability.
- Asda community champions will be leading litter picks from hundreds of their stores across the UK as well as supporting their local grass roots and charities with volunteer opportunities.
Sarah Vibert, Chief Executive at NCVO, said:
“Volunteers are a vital part of our society, and initiatives like the Big Help Out are a great way to encourage more people to try volunteering. Now more than ever, we need to do all we can to show people the amazing impact that volunteering can have – not only for the charity, but for the volunteer too.”
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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.