Community volunteering is an important part of the UK’s story, from air raid wardens during the Second World War to more than 12 million of us who stepped forward during the pandemic.
Now thousands of organisations – big and small – are getting together to mark HM King Charles III’s coronation by giving everybody the chance to try volunteering for themselves and to make a difference in their communities.
The Big Help Out on 8 May – part of the coronation weekend celebrations – is a day to celebrate and strengthen volunteering locally and across the nation.
Here at Neighbourly Lab, a non-profit organisation seeking to improve social connectedness across the UK, we see volunteering as a powerful tool to build social connections.
We are partnering with the Big Help Out (BHO) to support local authorities to get involved and support the day.
Volunteering opportunities are already live on the Do-It app, and we want to help councils upload and advertise their opportunities. We can help with this, as well as with sharing ideas for how you can get involved with the BHO, supporting you to develop volunteering opportunities, and providing comms materials for you to share locally.
We are also producing a toolkit for local authorities, focusing on setting up and delivering successful volunteering opportunities for the future.
Some local authorities are already supporting the BHO, by encouraging local organisations and residents to get involved; by staff members promoting the day and participating in volunteering; and by running ‘park’ events with local voluntary, social and community organisations to introduce their volunteering opportunities and encourage residents to sign up – while enjoying music and food.
Councils can also help facilitate other organisations and groups to take part by providing access to council facilities and spaces, link the BHO into their long-term volunteering strategy, and broker partnerships between residents and volunteering opportunities.
If you’d like to share any of your current goals for the Big Help Out, we would be happy to hear them. Please email me at [email protected].