BBC Radio 1 star Dean McCullough returned to his hometown of Belfast this week to visit The Belfast Urban Garden (The BUG) on the city’s Kent Street, with the aim of inspiring people to give volunteering a try during The Big Help Out next month.
With support from Volunteer Now, The Conservation Volunteers and a wide range of local organisations, The Big Help Out will invite the public to lend a hand for causes across Northern Ireland between Friday 7th and Sunday 9th June – the culmination of Volunteers’ Week, a week-long celebration of the work of volunteers here.
Speaking about the initiative, Dean McCullough said: “The Big Help Out is becoming a really brilliant tradition. It’s a great way to give volunteering a try for an hour a day or a weekend – doing something you care about at a time and place that’s convenient for you.
“We all know that volunteering – whether that’s at food banks, kids’ football, or local litter picks – can make a huge difference to the communities we live in, but it can also have a fantastic impact on the person who volunteers too.Volunteering is great for your mental health, it can boost feelings of self-worth and it’s a great way of meeting people too. So why not get involved next month – it could be the best thing you do all year!” Dean said.
Across Northern Ireland, almost 100,000 people took part in The Big Help Out last year and 71% of those who participated said it helped them meet new people and bring their community together.
Research shows the positive impact volunteering can make on communities and volunteers, including a link between volunteering and overall life-satisfaction, feelings of being effective and in control*. Volunteer Now’s BeCollective platform has almost 3,000 volunteering opportunities ready and waiting for people to get involved.
Denise Hayward, Chief Executive, Volunteer Now comments: “Volunteers are vital and much of our community life simply wouldn’t happen without them. The Big Help Out campaign is encouraging people to get involved and to try volunteering. There will be opportunities across Northern Ireland so why not find one that works for you and give it a try – it might become a habit that lasts a lifetime.”
The BUG is one of the organisations that will be hosting a Big Help Out event next month. Dave Morton, Assistant Director, Northern Ireland, The Conservation Volunteers said: “The BUG is such a fantastic resource for Belfast. This little urban gem offers individuals, groups and businesses from our neighbouring communities the opportunity to engage with a city garden and come away feeling the wonderful benefits of being active and connected to nature.”
Belfast Lord Mayor, Councillor Ryan Murphy also applauded the initiative: “I’m really pleased to see our new urban garden, The BUG, hosting a Big Help Out event on Friday 7th June on a section of the Belfast Stories site. We’ve made a commitment in our community plan, The Belfast Agenda, to place wellbeing at the heart of our city and to help enhance mental health. There’s so much research pointing to the positive impacts that both volunteering and gardening can have for us as individuals and as communities, so I’d really encourage residents to get involved with The Big Help Out this year. You’ll feel great – and you’ll be helping to make your city an even better place to live!”
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