Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Faith communities in UK unite to support the Big Help Out

The Big Help Out is one of the official projects of the Coronation weekend

Faith communities in UK unite to support the Big Help Out

FAITH communities across Britain have come together to organise volunteering initiatives on Coronation Bank Holiday on next Monday (May 8) as part of the Big Help Out.

The Big Help Out is one of the official projects of the Coronation weekend to promote, champion and showcase volunteering, a statement said.


It also aims to inspire a new generation of volunteers by making it easy for everyone to recognise opportunities and get involved.

Leaders from UK faith communities (Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Bahá’í, Jain, Zoroastrian) have signed an open letter supporting the campaign and urged communities to take part in it.

Last week, faith leaders and activists visited The Passage homelessness charity in central London. During the visit, the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, the Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis and others volunteered to sort donated clothing and serve food to the charity’s clients.

“We appreciate the role HM The King has played as a charitable leader and entrepreneur. He has championed volunteering as well as inter-faith harmony. The Big Help Out, over the Coronation weekend, is a special opportunity to rededicate our communities to volunteering and service. We encourage our communities, along with the entire nation, to take part," the open letter said.

The events being planned include a beach clean-up led by the Archbishop of Wales, a litter pick around BD1 led by Bradford Cathedral in collaboration with Don't Mess With Bradford and Bradford city council, a Coronation Street Party by St Mark’s Coptic Orthodox Church in London, a community jamboree by the Oasis Hub in Waterloo, a ‘Big Sort of Out’ of baby clothing donations led by Growbaby Teesside, the cooking and packaging of hundreds of hot meals to be distributed to the homeless in London led by Central Gurdwara London, a gardening project and mural painting on the wall of an electricity power station led by the Northern Ireland Interfaith Forum etc.

“The continued support from faith leaders and groups, representing millions of people all over the UK, reflects the huge backing for the Big Help Out. The UK’s faith communities excel at volunteering and bringing people together. That’s why are excited about what they can and will contribute to the Big Help Out," said Brendan Cox, co-founder of the Together Coalition, organisers of the Big Help Out.

More For You

ve-day-getty

VE Day 80 street parties, picnics and community get togethers are being encouraged to take place across the country as part of the Great British Food Festival. (Photo: Getty Images)

Public invited to attend VE Day 80 procession and flypast

THE 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe (VE) Day will be marked with a military procession in London on May 5.

The event will include over 1,300 members of the Armed Forces, youth groups, and uniformed services marching from Parliament Square to Buckingham Palace.

Keep ReadingShow less
Knife crimes

Knife-enabled crimes include cases where a blade or sharp instrument was used to injure or threaten, including where the weapon was not actually seen.

Getty Images/iStockphoto

Knife crime in London accounts for a third of national total: ONS

KNIFE-RELATED crime in London made up almost a third of all such offences recorded in England and Wales in 2024, with the Metropolitan Police logging 16,789 incidents, according to figures released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) on Thursday.

This amounts to one offence every 30 minutes in the capital and represents 31 per cent of the 54,587 knife-enabled crimes reported across England and Wales last year. The total number marks a two per cent rise from 53,413 offences in 2023.

Keep ReadingShow less
Starmer and Modi

Starmer and Modi shake hands during a bilateral meeting in the sidelines of the G20 summit at the Museum of Modern Art in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Brazil, on November 18, 2024.

Getty Images

Starmer calls Modi over Kashmir attack; expresses condolences

PRIME MINISER Keir Starmer spoke to Indian prime minister Narendra Modi on Friday morning following the deadly attack in Kashmir’s Pahalgam region that killed 26 people on Tuesday.

According to a readout from 10 Downing Street, Starmer said he was horrified by the devastating terrorist attack and expressed deep condolences on behalf of the British people to those affected, their loved ones, and the people of India. The two leaders agreed to stay in touch.

Keep ReadingShow less
 Post Office Horizon

A Post Office van parked outside the venue for the Post Office Horizon IT inquiry at Aldwych House on January 11, 2024 in London, England. (Photo: Getty Images)

Getty Images

Post Office spent £600m to keep Horizon despite plans to replace it: Report

THE POST OFFICE has spent more than £600 million of public funds to continue using the Horizon IT system, according to a news report.

Despite deciding over a decade ago to move away from the software, the original 1999 contract with Fujitsu prevented the Post Office from doing so, as it did not own the core software code, a BBC investigation shows.

Keep ReadingShow less
Pahalgam attack: Prayer meet held at Indian mission in London

The prayer meet was led by Indian High Commissioner to the UK Vikram Doraiswami

Pahalgam attack: Prayer meet held at Indian mission in London

Mahesh Liloriya

A PRAYER meet was held at the Gandhi Hall in the High Commission of India in London on Thursday (24) to pay respects to the victims of the Pahalgam terrorist attack.

Chants of ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ rang out at the event which was led by Indian High Commissioner to the UK Vikram Doraiswami.

Keep ReadingShow less