On Wednesday 19th April, we welcomed The Archbishop of Canterbury, the Chief Rabbi and other faith leaders to The Passage Resource Centre to encourage people to take part in The Big Help Out.
The Big Help Out is one of the official projects of the Coronation Weekend of HM The King. It aims to raise awareness of volunteering throughout the UK and provide opportunities for people to experience volunteering and make a difference in their communities.
During their visit, faith leaders from Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, Sikh and Buddhist communities came together to take part in a number of our regular volunteering activities.
The Archbishop of Canterbury and Chief Rabbi helped to sort through donations of clothing, to restock The Passage’s much needed clothes store. Other faith leaders spent time in The Passage kitchen, preparing lunch for those currently experiencing street homelessness or residing at one of our four accommodation projects.
All seven faith leaders came together to meet with staff, volunteers and clients to hear their stories and the impact The Passage has had on their lives.
Volunteers are the lifeblood of The Passage and they are essential to every aspect of our work to end street homelessness. Our volunteers add tremendous value to the organisation though supporting a diverse range of services, such as food, health, street outreach, community integration and more.
With a recent increase in the number of people coming to our doors for help (46%, January 2022 vs. January 2023), volunteers are needed now more than ever.
Mick Clarke, Chief Executive said: “The Passage was thrilled to welcome a diverse cross section of faith leaders to The Passage as part of the Big Help Out, which we hope will inspire many people to make a real difference to the local community and get involved in the wide range of volunteering opportunities that are available across the UK.
Homelessness is a societal issue and needs a societal solution. At The Passage we saw (during the Covid-19 pandemic) what can be achieved when society pulls together. We hope the Big Help Out acts as a springboard for more people to volunteer their time for causes they are passionate about supporting. The Passage has an urgent need for more volunteers to support our work, and we hope many people will be inspired to get involved volunteering in our work.”
Brendan Cox, Co-Founder of the Together Coalition, which is organising the Big Help Out, said: “The support from over thirty leaders of faith and belief groups, representing millions of people all over the UK, reflects the huge backing for the Big Help Out. The UK’s faith communities excel at volunteering and bringing people together. That’s why are excited about what they can contribute to the Big Help Out. Today’s intervention from senior leaders from the UK’s faith and belief groups, spanning the four nations, is a call to action for the faith communities to build the next generation of volunteers.”
If you would like to support The Passage as a volunteer, please see our current volunteer vacancies
Alternatively, find out more about The Big Help Out.