What is the Big Help Out for King Charles's Coronation and how can you volunteer?

After the pomp and ceremony of the King's Coronation, the public is encouraged to give back to their local communities in a nationwide volunteering initiative. 

Devised to pay tribute to the King's many decades of public service, the Big Help Out aims to inspire people across the country to volunteer for the first time.

Thousands of volunteering opportunities are available the length and breadth of the nation, and many members of the Royal family will be taking part.

Here, The Telegraph outlines everything you need to know about the Big Help Out scheme and how you can take part.

What is the Big Help Out and when is it? 

The Big Help Out is a national day of volunteering taking place on Monday May 8 - two days after the King's Coronation.

The scheme marks a formal part of the King’s Coronation celebrations, devised by the country’s top charities with the support of Buckingham Palace.

The day is aimed at inspiring people to try volunteering for the first time, with the hope of developing a new generation of volunteers. 

Which organisations are taking part?

Thousands of charity organisations across the country have signed up to take part in the scheme, and volunteering opportunities have been made available through the launch of a new app. 

Some of the leading charities offering volunteering opportunities are the RSPCA, St John Ambulance, Scouts, NSPCC, British Red Cross, and the RNLI. 

Others include: Samaritans, the British Heart Foundation, Citizens Advice, Girlguiding, Stroke Association and Cats Protection.

Matt Hyde, the Scouts chief executive, told The Telegraph: “This is more than about one day... This is about a legacy of volunteering in this country.

“It aligns so much with what the royal households are passionate about and the causes that they have supported themselves by giving their own time up for so many years.

“So, they are connected to many of the organisations that have been involved in the shaping of the Big Help Out.”

How can I get involved?

Members of the public can sign up to volunteer for a wide range of charities on the Big Help Out app, outlining opportunities within their local area. 

It details where and when the activities are taking place, and how individuals will be giving back to their local communities. 

You can choose from a number of different volunteering categories, including: community; animal welfare; older people; health & social care; crisis & welfare; young people & children; sports, arts & culture; and sustainability & environment. 

Charities will also open their doors to host taster sessions for the general public on May 8, including a day of pop-up scouting - such as making fires and climbing - and the opportunity to clean rivers and waterways with the Rotary.

The taster sessions and volunteering opportunities are designed to encourage people to sign up in the future as well, thereby creating a lasting volunteering legacy from the Coronation weekend.

Commenting on the initiative during a visit to the Baby Bank charity in Windsor, the Princess of Wales said: “It’s important for people to know that you don’t have to commit to a full day, if you can just have a slot in the morning. 

“It’s match-making people within the community who want to go and do something with the right organisation.”

Prince Louis has been taking centre stage at a Big Help Out event in Slough, where he clambered aboard a digger and pushed a wheelbarrow during his first official royal engagement.

Elsewhere, Rishi Sunak and his wife Akshata Murty visited a lunch club at Mill End Community Centre in Rickmansworth. 

Commenting on the scheme, Lucy Frazer, the Culture Secretary, said: “The Big Help Out is a fantastic opportunity for everyone to get involved in the Coronation and support a cause they care about. 

“All across the country there are millions of volunteers who help to make our local communities better and this is a chance for us all to get involved and give something back.

“Thousands of organisations are already signed up and there really is something for everyone, from opportunities to help at lunch clubs to volunteering in a charity shop. I'd encourage everyone to sign up and take part in this historic occasion.”

It is understood that Ms Frazer will be volunteering in a charity shop in her constituency.

How many people are expected to take part? 

A survey has suggested that approximately 6.5 million people are set to participate in the volunteering opportunities being made available.

The data, from a survey of more than 2,000 adults across the country between April 7 and 11, also showed that younger respondents were more likely to plan to participate in The Big Help Out. 

On average, 24 per cent of 25 to 34 year-olds and 19 per cent of 18 to 24 year-olds plan to get involved.

Brendan Cox, co-founder of the Together Coalition, which is organising The Big Help Out, told The Telegraph: “It shows the level of enthusiasm for people rolling up their sleeves and getting their hands dirty as part of the Coronation.

“People are obviously looking forward to the service itself and the celebration around it… but it also shows a real appetite to make the Coronation something that has a longer-term legacy in communities up and down the country.”

Mr Cox added: “The surprising thing is not just the scale of over six million people planning to take part, but in particular that that’s concentrated amongst younger people.

“One of the problems that many organisations are facing is a dearth of younger volunteers and one of the ideas behind The Big Help Out was trying to recruit a new generation.

“These figures showed that there's an appetite there from young people right across the country to take part in it. So it's very, very encouraging.”

Sarah Friar, chief executive of Nextdoor, which organised the poll, said: “These figures are not surprising - The Big Help Out campaign has gained momentum in online communities for weeks.

“On Nextdoor, we’re seeing neighbours collaborating on various activities from litter picks to repair shops to community gardening, indicating a strong grassroots desire to come together and make communities kinder places to live.”