Return of The Big Help Out day will see hundreds of Harrogate people make a difference to their community

Harrogate is starting to plan for the return of The Big Help Out day in 2024 to showcase how volunteering can play a vital role in building thriving communities.
By Graham Chalmers
Published 28th Dec 2023, 15:45 BST
Updated 28th Dec 2023, 15:45 BST
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The inaugural event saw more than 30,000 organisations sign up nationally for the new initiative in May as part of the King's Coronation celebrations.

Devised by a group of 32 charities working together as Shaping the Future for Volunteering, in total more than six million people came forward across the UK to offer their services to the community in a variety of ways, some of them for the very first time.

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In Harrogate, business group BID co-ordinated The Big Help Out activities in the town centre while Harrogate & District Community Action encouraged people to lend a hand in their local area.

Hard-working volunteers from Starbeck in Bloom in Harrogate supported the first-ever The Big Help Out day in 2023. (Picture contributed)Hard-working volunteers from Starbeck in Bloom in Harrogate supported the first-ever The Big Help Out day in 2023. (Picture contributed)
Hard-working volunteers from Starbeck in Bloom in Harrogate supported the first-ever The Big Help Out day in 2023. (Picture contributed)

In Starbeck, more than 100 people turned up in heavy rain to litter pick, wash street furniture, weed and edge.

The event was supported by Starbeck Residents Association, Starbeck in Bloom and Starbeck Christmas Lights.

The Rev Phil Carman, Vicar at St Andrew's Church, which acted as a hub for Starbeck's contribution to The Big Help Out 2023, said it was fantastic to see people coming together to lend a hand in their community to experience how rewarding volunteering can be, and the power it has to make a change.

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St Andrew's Church is now starting preparations for community activities on The Big Help Out day on Saturday, June 8, 2024.

The national event is supported by some of the UK’s biggest volunteer organisations, including the Scouts and the RVS.

Earlier this year, Prince Louis was driving a digger along with brother, Prince George, and sister, Princess Charlotte to help Scouts in Slough in Berkshire.

A total of 55,000 events took place across the UK.

Thousands of organisations, from the smallest local community groups to some of the UKs biggest names, took part with the help of an app and website which allowed people to search for volunteering opportunities, which ranged from helping the elderly to working with environmental charities and supporting animal welfare.

For more information, visit: https://thebighelpout.org.uk/

Related topics:HarrogateBIDCoronation