Londoners are being given the opportunity to ‘seed new beginnings’ to mark the Coronation of King Charles III on the site where floral tributes to the late Queen Elizabeth II were laid in The Green Park as part of The Royal Parks plans for The Big Help Out.

Thousands of organisations across the country are getting together to give everyone the chance to volunteer in their communities during The Big Help Out which will take place on Monday, May 8, during the Coronation Bank Holiday weekend.

In central London, The Royal Parks will be hosting a volunteering opportunity for anyone aged 14 or over. People can pop along and plant a selection of native wildflower plants. Meanwhile in Wembley, Major Tim Peake, Scout Ambassador, will join Scout Chief Executive Matt Hyde OBE for a major celebration in front of Wembley Stadium.

Morning wildflower planting sessions will take place in The Green Park from 10am – 11am and 11am – 12pm, with afternoon sessions taking place between 1pm and 2pm or 2pm and 3pm. Refreshments and snacks will be provided for all those taking part.

Bryony Cross, Volunteering and Programmes Manager at The Royal Parks said: “These flowering plants will create a long-lasting tribute and also provide vital food for foraging insects.

“A selection of blue and purple flowers will also be planted in a river-like formation, to mark where the River Tyburn once flowed through the park.

“You can come for the full session or just try planting a few plugs and the event is open to anyone aged 14 and over who wants to get involved. This is a great opportunity to try your hand at volunteering, we hope you will join us to give it a go!

“The Big Help Out provides a fantastic chance to promote the volunteering opportunities in the Royal Parks and showcase our exceptional and historic green spaces, right in the heart of London.”

Simon Carter, national spokesman for The Scout Association, said: “Scouts across England and Wales have risen to the challenge of taking part in The Big Help Out.

“We will be running a wide variety of activities during the event, including a major celebration in front of Wembley Stadium which will be attended by astronaut and Scout Ambassador Tim Peake and our chief executive Matt Hyde OBE.

“Brent District Scouts have also put together a taster day for adults in their community who want to try out some of the scouting activities that our volunteers get involved in.

“We’re delighted to be running these events to mark the King’s Coronation and to give people the chance to find out what it’s like to volunteer with the scouts and help out in their local communities.”

Health and first aid charity, St John Ambulance, who are playing a key role over the Coronation weekend with hundreds of volunteers keeping crowds safe and well, will have a number of Big Help Out events and activities taking place from May to July.

On May 8, St John Ambulance will have a pop-up treatment centre in Market Square, central Enfield from 11am to 4pm where they will be giving CPR and defib demos and other first aid skills.

St John Ambulance will be joining London Fire Brigade and Fire Cadets, Air Cadets, Boys Brigade and Girl Guides, along with other local charities and youth groups, to talk about the benefits of volunteering.

Salli Breton, Head of Volunteering Delivery at St John Ambulance, said: “The Big Help Out is a fantastic opportunity to showcase the incredible work of our amazing volunteers and to find out what you could do as a volunteer.

“We are particularly keen to recruit volunteer youth leaders and people with leadership experience – so do please get in touch with us to find out more.”

Another organisation taking part in The Big Help Out is the RSPCA, with the animal charity calling for people to become Wildlife Friends as part of the celebrations. Almost 600 volunteers across the country have already pledged to become Wildlife Friends as part of the charity’s involvement in the national celebration.

Whether it is joining with friends or neighbours to make a wildlife garden in your street, building a bug house or bird box for your garden, or organising a litter pick, there are a host of opportunities for people to do their bit to help the wildlife with which they share their neighbourhoods.

RSPCA chief executive Chris Sherwood said: “Wildlife is in crisis – but everyone has the power to help save the nation’s wild animals, by joining the RSPCA for The Big Help Out. By working together, we can all do our bit to help the wild animals who share our communities.

“From planting wildlife-friendly plants, to building nest boxes, and organising litter picks, we are calling on people across the country to become Wildlife Friends to make our nation a safer place for wild animals.

“As the nation comes together for the King’s Coronation, it’s an amazing opportunity to do something new, while making a huge difference for wild animals, and their welfare.”

Visit The Big Help Out app and search RSPCA to find out more about becoming a Wildlife Friend.

Another way people can get involved in The Big Help Out is by carrying out a survey of their local hedgerows.

CPRE the countryside charity is encouraging people to take part in Hedgelife Help Out, a new volunteering activity that has been launched as part of The Big Help Out.

Volunteers will be asked to answer some simple questions about their local hedgerows and upload their answers to help the charity assess the health of our hedgerows – our largest nature reserve.

Hundreds of people are expected to take part throughout May and it is hoped it provide a taster to environmental and conservation volunteering.

Use The Big Help Out app to find out how to get involved.

The Big Help Out is a formal part of the Coronation celebrations and is supported by the Together Coalition.

It has been devised by Britain’s leading charities including The Scouts, Royal Voluntary Service, Rotary, National Trust, Guide Dogs and hundreds of smaller groups.

As part of the event thousands of volunteering opportunities hosted by more than 1,500 charities have been made available via the Big Help Out app.

Organisers hope there will be an unprecedented community mobilisation to mark the King’s Coronation, underscore the central role volunteering plays in our national story and inspire a new generation of volunteers.

The Big Help Out is being backed nationally by a host of big names including Bear Grylls, Elaine Paige, Deborah Meaden, Ellie Simmonds and Faye Winter.

Brendan Cox, is co-founder of the Together Coalition which is supporting The Big Help Out and organised the first ever national Thank You Day in 2021 for people to thank those in their community and staged the event again last year to mark the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.

Brendan said: “How we mark the Coronation will reflect the kind of country we are.

“Along with the pageantry and parties, we hope an opportunity to volunteer will leave a long-lasting legacy in communities right around the country.”