The Big Help Out - Salisbury

On the 8th of May, from 12 – 4 pm, Salisbury City Council aims to coordinate an event for the whole city, a festival of giving and volunteering, bringing local people together with volunteering organisations and a chance to do something simple and positive for the city.

At the centre of the event will be a food drive for the network of food organisations that form the ‘Salisbury Foodie Network’. This network includes Bemerton Community Fridge, Your Salisbury Pantry and Salisbury Foodbank. On this day, the network will be out in force to collect as many food items for these projects as possible, sharing in our community's generosity.

A member of the Salisbury Foodie Network said, “Imagine if we collected just 1 item of food for every resident in the city. This could provide 2500 pantry shops or populate the shelves of the community fridge for months. Or this could provide the basis for over 1700 foodbank family boxes. We know the strength of our community when it comes together, and as we all face the cost-of-living crisis, this felt like the right response to King Charles’ call to action.”

One of the Leaders of the Council, Cllr Annie Riddle, said “This will be a fantastic chance for people across Salisbury to donate food items to those who are struggling during these difficult times. It would be great to see as many people as possible coming down to help these local causes and see what they do as a city through volunteering and positive action.”

Around this central ‘big give’, the City Council also invites organisations who need volunteers to take up a free stand on the square to show what they do and promote their volunteering opportunities.

The City Council hopes each organisation will provide a simple activity or a game to get the volunteering festival going. The aim is to show people how many ways there are to volunteer, including micro and remote volunteering and see how you can volunteer at different times of the week across the city.

How can I donate food? On the day, come down to the Market Square between 12 and 4 pm with food items from the list. You can donate as an individual or work with your workplace or group of friends to collect things.

The foodie network will announce a shopping list of the items they need three weeks before the event. The rest is up to you!

People are encouraged to walk donations onto the square, but there will be a small drop-off area for larger donations from groups and workplaces.

This event is all about the whole city helping each other out! So, please help to make this plan a reality!

• Volunteer to sort and marshal – If you can, give 2 to 4 hours on the day to help out on the Market Square to take in food or other donation items. This is a great way to do something simple to be part of the Big Help Out.

• Volunteer van drivers – Once the items have been collected and sorted, they must move them to sites within the city for storage. Let the council know if you have a van and can spare some time on the 8th of May.

Join local organisations already signed up by booking a stand to raise awareness of your work and promote your volunteering opportunities.

Contact the communities team at the City Council on 01722 417100 or email bhc@salisburycitycouncil.gov.uk with the subject line – 'Big Help Out' if you want to become involved in any of these ways.