Happy Volunteers Week!

This week celebrates the contribution made by millions of volunteers across the UK each year. Volunteers do a massively amazing job giving up their time to help people and causes in need, and its because of the generous work carried out across the UK that many individuals get the care they need.

To mark Volunteers week last year, two members of the team went down to Brighton beach to take part in the Big Beach Clean. This was such a great event organised by The Argus - it saw loads of people get together, grab a litter picker, some rubber gloves and a bin bag and start cleaning up Brighton's coastline!

Whether you want to help out locally or branch out to other cities and countries, there's always ton of opportunities to get involved with charities and organisations. Here are just a few campaigns you can join this year:

Join In - if you're into sport and keeping active, this is your perfect opportunity to help people in your local town or city connect with sports clubs and groups. Visit their website to find out more.

RSPB - it's as important as ever that we protect nature! If you're interested in residential volunteering or helping out for a week or more on a reserve, check out RSPB's opportunities this summer!

National Trust - From outdoor activities, getting involved with the public to just making new friends, you can be sure to find something to suit you and your interests here! The National Trust offers roles with costumes, houses, and in the Great British countryside - you can even volunteer as a family! Have look at their huge list of events you can join in with.

To read more about Volunteers Week and to get involved, visit the website!

https://www.ellieellie.co.uk/

The Big Beach Clean!

This week marks the 30th anniversary of Volunteers' week, which is a week to celebrate the contribution of millions of volunteers across the UK. Many different volunteer projects are getting underway this week, with challenges and events taking place throughout the UK all week to celebrate. 

Hayley and I got involved with the big beach clean up on Brighton seafront last week, joining loads of helpful volunteers to clean the beach of litter and rubbish. Organised by The Argus, teams of volunteers and individuals to met on Brighton pier from across the city to begin cleaning up the beach. 

I was very surprised at how much litter there was on the beach, considering we had had a rainy bank holiday Monday the day before. What was also surprising was the type of litter we picked up, i was expecting crisp packets and drinks cans, however, the rubbish we were picking up was much smaller pieces such as bottle tops, string and small bits of plastic that could easily not be seen and therefore stay among the pebbles. Which would ultimately increase the amount of litter on the beach. We even found a pair of headphones buried in the pebbles! 

Thank you to The Argus for organising the beach clean up. We will definitely be taking part in the next one!

Read more about the Big Beach Clean up here!

Find out more about Volunteers' Week