Archbishop volunteers for the Big Help Out

The Archbishop of Wales will be among thousands of volunteers across the UK taking part in the Big Help Out on Monday (May 8).

Archbishop Andrew John will be doing a beach clean in North Wales to raise awareness of the impact of plastic pollution in our seas.

Taking place on Bank Holiday Monday 8 May, the Big Help Out is one of the official projects of the upcoming Coronation Weekend. It is a huge public engagement campaign to promote, champion and showcase volunteering on Monday 8 May and following on from that day.

In the UK, millions of people volunteer every day. The Big Help Out is trying to affect a step change in volunteering across the country by making it easy for volunteers to recognise opportunities and get involved. Building on the volunteering phenomenon seen during the pandemic, the Big Help Out aims to inspire a new generation of volunteers, particularly those from backgrounds who don’t traditionally volunteer.

Given the importance of faith communities as sources of volunteering and charitable work in the UK and HM The King’s longstanding commitment to promoting inter-faith collaboration, faith organisations are set to play a significant role in the Big Help Out.

The Archbishop’s beach clean takes place at Dinas Dinlle beach in Caernarfon Bay between 10am-12.

Other volunteering initiatives from faith communities across the UK including an interfaith community gardening project in Northern Ireland and hot food preparation and service at the Central Gurdwara London, among many others.

The Big Help Out will enable communities of all faiths and none to come together and pay tribute to His Majesty’s lifetime of public service and highlight the central role that volunteering plays in our national story.

Archbishop Andrew says, “There’s a secret volunteers have that not many people know and it’s this: when you give freely, you always get more back in return. That’s why volunteering is such an amazing gift to celebrate, why giving is such an important part of our Christian faith and why The Big Help Out festival is the perfect way to mark our King’s Coronation.”

Brendan Cox, Co-Founder of the Together Coalition, which is organising the Big Help Out, says, “The support from more than 30 leaders of faith and belief groups, representing millions of people all over the UK, reflects the huge backing for the Big Help Out. The UK’s faith communities excel at volunteering and bringing people together. That’s why are excited about what they can contribute to the Big Help Out. Today’s intervention from senior leaders from the UK’s faith and belief groups, spanning the four nations, is a call to action for the faith communities to build the next generation of volunteers.”

Read the Archbishop’s blog about the beach clean