Return of the Big Help Out
May 8, 2023, saw the launch of The Big Help Out, a national day of volunteering initiated by the Royal Voluntary Service and the Together Coalition.
The event, which took place on the Bank Holiday of the Coronation weekend, was designed to ‘raise awareness of volunteering and provide opportunities for people to make a difference in their communities.’
It’s safe to say it achieved its mission.
30,000 charities offered volunteering opportunities at 55,000 events, and a whopping 7.2 million people around the UK took part.
Of those 7.2 million, 40% had not done any formal volunteering before, 80% had no prior relationship with the organisation they volunteered for, and 33% have gone on to volunteer again for the same organisation.
Success story
One of the participating charities, the RSPCA, saw 850 people sign up to become “wildlife friends”. They spent the day litter picking, building hedgehog homes, and creating wildlife-friendly habitats.
According to the RSPCA, 1,250 new volunteers have joined since the Big Help Out.
Back with a bang
Following the unprecedented success of the inaugural event, the organisers have announced the Big Help Out will return in 2024. But this time, it’ll take place over three days, from 7-9 June, to coincide with the end of Volunteers’ Week.
Catherine Johnstone, Managing Director of the Royal Voluntary Service told Civil Society that extending the event would ‘increase accessibility’ and allow ‘more people to get involved.’ She added that the organisers hope that by including a Friday as one of the days, ‘businesses and schools will be encouraged to take part.’
The value of the Big Help Out
Data from The National Council for Voluntary Organisation’s (NCVO) 2023 Time Well Spent survey revealed that volunteering is at an all-time low in England.
The report shows that, since 2018, the number of people raising money for, or taking part in sponsored events has almost halved, (down from 11% to 6%). And that there’s been a 52% drop in people organising or volunteering at charitable events (down from 14% to 7%).
As a result, volunteer recruitment is a top priority for charities.
Sarah Vibert, CEO of the NCVO said of the report, ‘without volunteers, some charities wouldn’t be able to make the huge differences to people’s lives that they do.
If you’re an organisation that wants to recruit more volunteers, please get involved – it’s a great way to promote your amazing work and the positive impact volunteering makes to local communities.’
Want to take part?
If you want to take part in next year’s event, keep an eye on the Big Help Out website.
Charities will be able to list volunteering opportunities from late January.
In the meantime, if you’re on the hunt for a talented fundraiser, you’re in the right place. Give us a call on 020 3750 3111 or email us at info@bamboofundraising.co.uk to get the process started.