SCOUTS in Hampshire are organising a special event to celebrate the King’s Coronation and promote volunteering in the UK as part of The Big Help Out campaign.

Thousands of organisations across the country are getting together to give everyone the chance to volunteer in their communities during The Big Help Out which will take place on Monday, May 8, during the Coronation Bank Holiday weekend.

One of the organisations taking part in The Big Help Out is The Scout Association which is running a wide variety of events across the South East.

National spokesperson Simon Carter said: “Scouts across the South East of England have risen to the challenge of taking part in The Big Help Out.

“We’ve got a wide variety of activities taking place throughout the region including a pop-up Scout Camp in Basingstoke to help people learn about the role of scout volunteers.

READ MORE: In the dock: Basingstoke man fined for using a train without ticket

“We’re delighted to be running events like this to mark the King’s Coronation and to give people the chance to find out what it’s like to volunteer with the scouts and help out in their local communities.”

Bear Grylls, UK Chief Scout added: “I am so excited to see so many individuals across the UK taking part in the Big Help Out and I’m immensely proud of how Scouts are setting such great examples for people to follow. “The Big Help Out is a brilliant way to raise awareness of volunteering and to visually show how much of a difference it can make when we come together.

“Seeing all of the various groups helping their local communities in unique ways is truly special, and is also a wonderful volunteering example, inspiring thousands across the country to make a change for the better, whether big or small.”

The Big Help Out is a formal part of the Coronation celebrations and is supported by the Together Coalition. It has been devised by Britain’s leading charities including The Scouts, Royal Voluntary Service, Rotary, National Trust, Guide Dogs and hundreds of smaller groups.

As part of the event, thousands of volunteering opportunities hosted by more than 1,500 charities have been made available via the Big Help Out app. Organisers hope there will be an unprecedented community mobilisation to mark the King’s Coronation, underscore the central role volunteering plays in our national story and inspire a new generation of volunteers.

SEE ALSO: Tributes paid to a Basingstoke anaesthetist who has died aged 75

The event is being backed nationally by a host of other big names including Elaine Paige, Deborah Meaden, Ellie Simmonds and Faye Winter. Brendan Cox is co-founder of the Together Coalition which is supporting The Big Help Out and organised the first-ever national Thank You Day in 2021 for people to thank those in their community and staged the event again last year to mark the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.

Brendan said: “How we mark the Coronation will reflect the kind of country we are.

“Along with the pageantry and parties, we hope an opportunity to volunteer will leave a long-lasting legacy in communities right around the country.”