Charities hope to mark Coronation with a day dedicated to volunteering

Coronation inspiration! Charities call for army of volunteers to help those in need to celebrate the crowning of King Charles

  • Charities to mark Coronation with ‘unprecedented community mobilisation’ 
  • Scheme aimed to inspire new generation of volunteers backed by Faye Winter
  • The Big Help Out initiative will take place on May 8 – the bank holiday Monday 

Charities hope to mark the Coronation with ‘unprecedented community mobilisation’ on a day dedicated to volunteering.

If you ever fancied helping out at your local Scout group, or with St John Ambulance, now is your chance.

Today, hundreds of thousands of opportunities have been made available as part of The Big Help Out initiative.

The scheme, which aims to inspire a new generation of volunteers, has been backed by celebrities including ex-Love Island contestant Faye Winter.

The Big Help Out will take place on May 8 – the bank holiday Monday – as part of the official Coronation celebrations. Its app goes live today. Anyone interested can search by postcode, type of activity and the organisation they would like to work with.

Today, hundreds of thousands of opportunities have been made available as part of The Big Help Out initiative – as part of the official Coronation celebrations

The scheme, which aims to inspire a new generation of volunteers, has been backed by celebrities including ex-Love Island contestant Faye Winter (pictured with guide dog puppy Bonnie)

More than 1,500 charities have signed up. The Big Help Out has been organised by The Together Coalition and leading charities.

In Somerset, people can take part in a taster session at their local Age UK charity shop.

And in Shropshire, the Ramblers is calling on people to walk on local paths and record any issues.

Scout groups will let people try activities that their volunteers do regularly, such as climbing, archery, or campfire cooking.

Ms Winter, 27, helps out with the charity The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association.

She said: ‘It’s a fantastic cause and I would recommend volunteering to anyone who is able to donate some of their time.’

The Coronation will take place on May 6, followed by a procession to Buckingham Palace. The next day, a Coronation concert will be broadcast from Windsor Castle.

Five hundred people will also be crowned ‘Coronation Champions’ and get a certificate signed by the King and Queen. 

The Queen Consort’s Coronation Champions Awards, backed by the Daily Mail, will be given to Britain’s most incredible volunteers by the Royal Voluntary Service 

The Queen Consort’s Coronation Champions Awards, backed by the Daily Mail, will be given to Britain’s most incredible volunteers by the Royal Voluntary Service. Winners will get a special pin and tickets to the concert or a garden party.

But not everyone is getting in the spirit. King Charles’s council is one of 83 that will not spend on celebrations for his Coronation. 

Charles has lived at Highgrove House in Tetbury, Gloucestershire, for 43 years – but the Lib Dem-led Cotswold District Council has no plans to mark his crowning, a Freedom of Information request by The Sun on Sunday revealed.

Camden Council in north London, home to Labour leader Keir Starmer, is also snubbing the day.

How to nominate someone for a Coronation Champions Award 

1. Identify a volunteer 

If you know an outstanding volunteer aged 14 and over, you can nominate them for the Queen Consort’s Coronation Champions Awards.

2. Ask for permission

Before you nominate someone, it’s important to check they are happy for you to do so. For nominees aged 16 or under, you must get their parent/guardian’s permission.

3. Head online to nominate

Go to www.royalvoluntaryservice.org.uk/ coronation-champions-awards to find the online form for nominations. There’s also a video by one of the award judges, Dr Eddy Hogg, sharing tips on how to make your nomination stand out.

The form will guide you through the information needed for a nomination, which will include details about your nominee’s involvement in volunteering in the last five years and how they have made a difference.

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