BBC- Londoners have held a range of events to thank community heroes for their work helping others
- The nationwide Big Help Out initiative encourages people to get involved with charitable causes
- There was an eclectic mix of events across the capital, from barge trips to flower planting
- The Big Help Out day is organised by the Together Coalition and partners including the Scouts, the Royal Voluntary Service and faith groups from across the UK
The gatherings are part of the Big Help Out, a nationwide initiative to promote charitable causes.
In Camden in north London, volunteers were honoured with a barge trip from Hawley Wharf to King’s Cross.
They were greeted with a steel band, saxophonist and tea and cake as they sailed down Regent’s Canal.
One charity volunteer on the barge trip, Larysa Koltova from Families4Peace which helps support refugees, said she felt called to helping others after the charity did so much for her when she first got to the UK from Ukraine.
Fellow volunteer Mark from South Hampstead and Kilburn Community Partnership, a tenant support group, said: “It is very nice to be recognised for our work over the year but at the same time, for me the most rewarding part is seeing the smile of the faces of the people I help out.”
In Newham, in east London, an oak tree was planted in Central Park by Mayor Rokhsana Fiaz in tribute to volunteers, as part of the borough’s community programme, and green-fingered volunteers placed blue flowering plants in Green Park – the same site where floral tributes were laid for the late Queen.
Other Big Help Out events across the capital involved litter picks, cultural workshops and performances.
