The Big Help Out is on Monday, 8 May 2023, and in tribute to His Majesty The King's public service, this day is about encouraging people to try volunteering for themselves and join the work being undertaken to support their local areas. The aim of this day is to use volunteering to bring communities together and create a lasting volunteering legacy from the Coronation Weekend. 

Across Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole we've got a community of volunteers who give up their time and for some, their expertise, to help out. From volunteering to clear weeds in our parks and open spaces, to volunteering time to make residents feel welcome in one of our community warm spaces, and especially helping out during the COVID-19 pandemic over the last few years, we're always extremely grateful for each and every one of our residents who choose to help in this way. 

We are passionate about creating vibrant communities with outstanding quality of life where everyone plays an active role, and through our connected communities priority, we're keen on empowering our communities so everyone feels safe, engaged and included. Volunteering is a great way to help us achieve this objective.

We celebrate the voluntary and charitable sector’s work with the council, whilst growing the grass-roots wellbeing, volunteer opportunities and community involvement across our services, from parks to community development. We know that a diverse community brings huge benefits into any area and we intend to grow our community and ensure that everyone is able to play an active role in our communities. 

Community Action Network

We work alongside Community Action Network (CAN) on all our volunteering needs. CAN wants to see communities that are strong, healthy, diverse, vibrant and flourishing.

They work in partnership with us to make that happen through: 

• empowering the voluntary sector to survive and thrive, by providing expertise, support, development opportunities and training
• enabling volunteering through their Volunteering Hub, helping everyone to play an active role in the community 
• connecting communities by helping to create conditions where everyone’s voice is valued and heard by facilitating great local networking and communication

Through The Big Help Out, we're encouraging everyone to find out more about the volunteering opportunities available in your local communities, asking people to consider giving up as little as an hour a week, a fortnight or a month to help as a volunteer.

Visit CAN's volunteering hub to find out more about volunteering, what you can expect as a volunteer, what support you'll get, and be inspired by reading the real stories from people who are currently volunteering in our local communities. You can also search the local volunteering opportunities available to you in your local area. 

Volunteers' Week

From 1-7 June it's Volunteers' Week. This week is an annual celebration of the contribution millions of people make across the UK through volunteering. It gives us the opportunity to say a massive thank you to everyone for giving up their time across our conurbation to make a difference.

This year, The Big Help Out has brought volunteering to the forefront of everyone's minds and we're keen to keep that momentum going, so if The Big Help Out has inspired you to find out more about volunteering and perhaps get involved, visit CAN's website for further information, or attend one of their volunteer fairs which are fully accessible and open to anyone looking to volunteer on:

• Wednesday 7 June from 10am to 1pm at The Spire, 1^st Floor - Rose Hall, High St, Poole, BH15 1DF
• Friday 9 June from 10am to 1pm at Bournemouth Library, 2^nd Floor, 22 The Triangle, Bournemouth BH2 5RQ

...and start your volunteering journey today!