The brilliant Big Help Out with Royal volunteers
While Scouts across the nations got involved in the Big Help Out, TRH The Prince and Princess of Wales with Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis all lent a hand today at 3rd Upton Scouts.
Today has certainly been a day to be proud of, as Scouts got together for the Big Help Out. In recognition of HM The King's public service, The Big Help Out encouraged people to try volunteering for themselves and join in to support their local areas.
This national day of volunteering was all about creating opportunities for people to volunteer locally. For Scouts across the nations, it was a chance to show what we do and how much fun we have, from outdoor cooking and climbing, to helping those who need it.
One Scout group, 3rd Upton, even got extra pairs of helping hands when the TRH The Prince and Princess of Wales, as well as Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, came along to volunteer with them. The Princess has been Scouts’ Joint President since 2020.
It was an incredible end to the bank holiday weekend, and one that reminds us of the brilliant impact we have when we come together.
Trying volunteering and giving back
The Big Help Out was led by Scouts with other charities as a chance to highlight the benefits of volunteering. With events all over the country, thousands of people were inspired to make a difference in their communities.
Many people felt encouraged to try volunteering for the first time, and we celebrated the amazing work existing volunteers do with our young people every day.
Scouts across the nations got up to so many fantastic things. They ran exciting events and helped create a lasting volunteer legacy from the Coronation weekend.
It’s been so exciting to see so many people across the UK take part in The Big Help Out. 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 what a difference we can make when we come together. Seeing so many groups helping their local communities in unique ways has been great to see! It was also wonderful to see Scouts leading the way for volunteering and inspiring thousands across the country to make a change for the better, whether it’s big or small.
Chief Scout, Bear Grylls
A Royal visit to 3rd Upton Scouts
Not only did 3rd Upton have ‘all Scout hands on deck’ at their meeting place, they were over the moon to be joined HRH The Prince of Wales and HRH The Princess of Wales, Joint President of Scouts, as well as Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.
For The Big Help Out, Scouts at 3rd Upton decided to renovate their meeting place. It was built in 1982, and needed a few improvements. It’s a building with a special place in the community’s heart, as it’s also used by the local mosque, a senior citizens contact group for members of the Asian community.
‘Slough All Nations’ use the building, too. They’re a group with heritage spanning across St. Kitts & Nevis. The group provides much-needed recreation and leisure activities to improve health and wellbeing and promote community cohesion.
The Royal family visited the group to volunteer for the Big Help Out and they were happy to get involved will all sorts of building work.
Prince George carefully drilled a hole into some wood with a Scouts volunteer, Princess Charlotte carefully painted and helped push a wheelbarrow, and Prince Louis sat in his father’s lap to help him operate a digger.
Together, they helped with resetting a path, digging a new soakaway, sanding, and revarnishing the front door, and adding planters to the front of the building.
Inside, they replaced the carpet and fixed a mural to create a lasting legacy of the fantastic Big Help Out initiative, and everyone got their own #TheBigHelpOut badge.
Today has shown the extraordinary power of what can happen when a community comes together and volunteers. Our Scout meeting place has had a new lease of life today, which'll benefit our Scouts and the wider community for years to come. The fact the volunteers included members of the Royal family has made this a day our Scout group will never forget. From Prince William and Prince George on the digger, to Princess Charlotte helping to paint our door, they all volunteered together and looked like they had a great time.
Harrison, Group Scout Leader at 3rd Upton Scouts
A massive thank you
What an amazing weekend it’s been. We’d like to say a huge thank you to everyone taking part in The Big Help Out today. You’ve done your communities and your country proud, and shown just how fantastic volunteering (and Scouts) can be.