After a weekend of celebration and over-indulgence for many, Monday is intended to give something back following King Charles’ Coronation.
Whether it’s litter-picking after the thousands of street parties or volunteering in a charity shop, there are countless ways to take part in Monday's The Big Help Out.
“The thing about need is if you look for it, you’ll find it everywhere,” says Anneka Rice as she takes a quick breather from chopping cabbages.
She’s preparing 5,000 meals at the Felix Project, a food hub in east London’s Poplar which collects high-quality food from restaurants and turns it into nutritious meals for the hungry.
“If you open your eyes, you’ll always find someone who is in need of help.”
Anneka’s cabbage-chopping extravaganza comes as part of the festival of volunteering, which aims to bring together millions of people across the UK to help out in their local communities this Bank Holiday Monday.
Launched by Bear Grylls, it kicks off a summer of doing-good, with the help of The Big Help Out app, which has more than eight million opportunities for Brits to get involved on the day.
Volunteering comes naturally to Anneka, whose Challenge Anneka TV series was all about making a difference to local projects using volunteers’ expertise and passion.
“I remember my first ever project was aged eight, when we used to knock on people’s doors for a-bob-a-job,” she laughs.
“I remember getting very engaged in my local community, chatting to elderly people and getting to know them.
“Later, when I was working in Hong Kong aged 19 or 20, there were people pouring into Hong Kong from Vietnam, and it was such a parallel to what’s happening now with people arriving to UK shores on small boats, absolutely destitute, and that’s when my proper volunteering started.
“I saw the need, the desperation, and how one of us can make a tiny difference, but it’s a start. If everyone makes a tiny difference then it builds up to make a big difference.”
Even whirlwind Anneka admits it’s hard not to be overwhelmed by the sheer number of people in need, especially as the cost of living crisis bites down hard.
“It’s utterly depressing, but there’s a lovely quote from Piglet by AA Milne, which says: ‘Piglet was so excited at the idea of being Useful that he forgot to be frightened any more’,” she says.
“A lot of people feel better if they reach out, it makes them feel better about themselves and it’s about being part of a team.”
How to get involved
Download The Big Help Out app or visit thebighelpout.org.uk/ join-in to find out the volunteering opportunities near you. You can give as much time as you like - even one hour can make a difference. Here are some of the 38,500 events taking place today.
Nationwide
- Take a stroll in the sun to document the health of your local hedges, as part of the Campaign to Protect Rural England’s Hedge Life Heroes project. A short survey is all you need to fill in while following a simple guide, to keep track of nesting birds, support diversity of wildlife and check on any gaps in hedgerows that may need replanting.
Spend an hour of your time from home digitally transcribing previously unseen records from the Holocaust, organised by Every Name Counts UK.
Guide Dogs UK is holding taster sessions at vet practices, community venues and shopping centres across the UK for those who might like to get involved in volunteering - and you’ll get to meet some of the dogs that provide invaluable help to service-users.
Take a walk around your area to discover new footpaths. The Ramblers is asking for volunteers to keep tabs on paths on its map of routes to ensure ancient footways aren’t lost.
London
- Green Park: Visitors to one of the most famous Royal Parks in London are set to see a sea of blue when volunteers gather on Monday to plant beautiful blue flowers in the same site where floral tributes were left when the late Queen died.
- Greenwich: Sea Cadets are calling on volunteer pipers to join them in attempting a world record to get hundreds of musicians to simultaneously play Call the Hands, which is a maritime tune on the boatswains call.
- Wembley stadium: Brent Scouts are putting on a taster day session for adults who might be interested in trying out activities open to volunteers in the Scout Movement. These include archery and crossbows.
Wales
- Dinas Dinlle beach, Gwynedd: Organised by the Church in Wales, a clean-up project on the beautiful sand and pebble beach to clear away litter and make the beach safe for wildlife and visitors.
South East
- Banbury, Oxfordshire: Try your hand at indoor archery and indulge in a scone or three at the Royal Voluntary Service’s coronation celebrations at the Cornhill Centre in Banbury, which offers lunch clubs, dance groups, dementia support and a friendly face to locals.
North East
- Keighley: Starting at 10.30am, volunteers will gather outside Airedale General Hospital to pick up litter until midday. You’ll be given a hi-vis vest and a grabber, although you’re advised to bring your own pair of gloves, and children must be accompanied by adults.
- Leeds: Leeds Area Riding stables need a spring clean - and its ponies need strokes, too. Join in from 10am on Monday to help groom and bathe the horses, clean the tack and help yourself to tea and cake afterwards as a thank-you.
- Gateshead, Tyne & Wear: A taster session with St John Ambulance volunteers, who provide help and support at major events, act as the nation’s ambulance auxiliary and run life-saving first aid courses across the country.
North West
- Liverpool: Paws On Plastic is asking dog-walkers to keep an eye out for bits of rubbish while out with their pooches, and clearing them away safely. Join 23,000 members of the group, who together remove 34 million pieces of litter each year to make their local area much more pleasant.
- Chester: Fancy giving a temporary loving home to an unwanted animal? The RSPCA’s Chester branch is looking for ongoing foster families for dogs, which involves providing care and a safe space for them, grooming, playing and socialising them.
