GETTING STARTED
The Big Help is about helping. Helping something or somebody in your community.  It can be as small or as big as you like, as long as you know you've made a difference!  There are all sorts of ways for you to help.

HOW CAN I HELP?

Get an idea

Big help or small help?  First you think of an idea - either as a group or as an individual - where you can help out in your community.   

Big or Small

You may come up with a BIG idea like organizing a large group of kids to plant spring flower bulbs in your town, or a LITTLE like some of the ones listed below.

Some of the ways you can help by giving:

Unwanted clothes
Toys to charity
Your mum or dad a hug
Spare time to someone who needs it
 

Collect tinned food – there are lots of places that can always use tinned foods.  You can even collect pet food and donate it to the local animal shelter.  (Make sure that you only collect from people that you know).

Some of the ways you can help by cleaning:

Your room
Your pets
The dishes
The environment

Organise a clean up campaign – is there anywhere in your local area that could do with a really good clean up?  Mention it at your school or youth club and see if you can set up a group to tackle the mucky problem!

Help keep the places where you play tidy - even something as simple as picking up a can, a chip packet or any other rubbish you find at the local park and putting it in the bin will help to keep your area clean.

Be the family recycler – find out what sort of stuff can be recycled, then explain it to the rest of the family.  Make sure they’re not throwing away stuff in the rubbish that could be easily recycled.  Look in your white pages or local phone directory for the number of your local council and ask to speak to someone about recycling.

Look on notice boards in your local library, community centre, or school for information of recycling schemes and clean up campaigns in your area.

Some of the ways you can help by caring:

For your friends
For your environment
For your school
For your future

Get involved with a community event – you can help to sort stuff at a garage sale, or even blow up balloons for a local fete. Look on the notice boards in your local library, or look in the local newspaper for details of local events.   Give them a call and see if they need help – or get your parents to call.

Sponsor a guide dog puppy.

Make a bird’s nest box to put up in your garden or school grounds.

Write letters to world and community leaders – like the Prime Minister or the Mayor of your area about things that concern you.  If you ask a question, you will usually get a proper reply.  (Don’t forget to include your name and address so they can write back to you)

Some of the ways you can help by fixing:

Up the park
Your mistakes
A leaking tap
Your old toys and give them away

Fix up a broken bike or toy and give it to someone who doesn’t have one.

Offer to help out in a neighbour’s garden or backyard.

There are probably lots of things that need fixing around your house.  Ask your parents what you can safely tackle to help out.  You can also ask good neighbours, family, and grandparents if there is anything you can fix around their house.

If you have something that you don’t use anymore that needs fixing, like a bike, toys etc, why not make the repairs and take them down to a local playgroup, children’s ward or local hospital.  Look in your local telephone directory for the telephone numbers.

Don’t forget to tell your parents about what you’re planning to do, whatever you do to help!

Some of the ways you can help by sharing:

Your toys
Your ideas
Your jokes
Your books
Your time with friends

Help your friends after school in subjects you’re good at.

Start a newspaper or comic with friends – ask if you can leave copies of it for people to read at the local library.

Take your old comics and magazines to your local doctor’s or dental surgery.  That way, kids waiting to see the doctor or dentist will have something interesting to read!

Collect stuff for the local charity shop – find out what charity shops are in your area and what sort of things they like to sell.  There could be stuff like that in your house or garage that your family doesn’t need anymore.

Look in your local telephone directory for names of charity shops, for example - Barnardo’s, The Smith Family, St Vincent De Paul etc.  Call or pop in and ask them what things they like to sell and arrange a collection at school, in your neighbourhood or ask your parents if they have anything they don’t want anymore.

Raid your house for toys you don’t use – take the box to the children’s ward of your local hospital. (But make sure that the toys are in good condition).

Why not collect tinned food?
You might like to collect tins for your local animal shelter.  Pop into your local vets, they will know about local branches of animal shelters who would be delighted to be given tins of food to feed their animals.  Your local telephone directory should have a list of animal charities and shelters.
 

Some of the ways you can help by visiting:

Your friends
Your grandparents
A national park
A sick person

Give the gift of your company to someone who is lonely – is there someone at school who doesn’t have any friends, or someone who’s just moved to your neighbourhood?  You could make their day by spending time with them – and make a new friend into the bargain!

Get together with some friends and organise a visit to an old people’s home – You can give a concert with your friends, bake some cakes or spend some time chatting and playing board games.

Offer to read to people who find it difficult or can’t – like kids in hospital or someone who is blind.  Some people can’t read because they are blind, or just because they never learned to.  They may be in hospital or living in a home.  Why not offer to go in and read to them?  Call your local hospital to see if there are any older people or children who would like to be read to.  You could also contact Residential and Retirement homes or Nursing homes.   These numbers can be found in your local telephone directory.
 

Some of the ways you can help by doing:

A first aid course
An errand
The gardening
A favour for a friend

Find ways of saving water.

Offer to wash groom and walk a neighbour’s dog.

Take pictures or create drawings of things that you would like to change in your community or things that are important to you – send them to your local Minister or Mayor.  Remember, your voice counts!  You can also ask your local library or school to display them.  You could even send them your newspaper or comic if your have made one.  Ring your local town hall to find out the name of the Mayor and send them your pictures or drawings.

Learn basic first aid – and make sure your home has an up-to-date first aid kit.

Offer to clear leaves from a neighbour’s path in autumn.   (Reward yourself with a hot chocolate)

Encourage grown-ups to use their cars less – fewer cars means less exhaust fumes and other pollution in the air.

If you would like to learn basic first aid skills, contact - St Johns Ambulance

Collect spare clothes, sheets and blankets for the homeless – ask your parents, teacher or youth leader to contact local homeless shelters (numbers can be found in local telephone directories or maybe your local council can help you) to see what they need and arrange a collection.