I am really looking forward to the Coronation of King Charles III and the Queen Consort, which takes place on 6th May. It should be a moment of celebration across the country and it’s an honour to be the leader of the Council at such an historic moment. I am hoping that there will be a great party atmosphere in Gloucester.

We’re aiming to fill the city centre with bunting, switch the fountains and lights on in Kings Square, and we’re encouraging people to host a Big Lunch on Sunday 7th May, the day after the Coronation. If residents wish to host a street party they can apply to the Council for a street closure, which is free of charge for this historic event.

The Coronation also offers us a chance to give something back and there’s never been a better opportunity to do this than during The Big Help Out – a day dedicated to encouraging everyone to do some volunteering. The City Council are organising a litter pick on Robinswood Hill from 10am-12pm on Monday 8th May, and there will be many more opportunities across the city.

Why not set up your own volunteering event or look on The Big Help Out website for an activity to join? Volunteering is known to be beneficial to health and well-being, as well as the other benefits it brings in helping people or places.

Numerous opportunities to help

In fact, throughout the year there are numerous opportunities to volunteer in the city, such as litter picking or perhaps the Holidays Activity and Food programme. Take a look at the council website for more ideas. There is also a great website – www.govolunteerglos.org – which advertises volunteering opportunities locally. This is a county-wide platform, with Gloucester-based opportunities on there too.

There are so many organisations in Gloucester that could do so much more if they had occasional additional help from volunteers. So, I would urge you to look into what opportunities are available in your communities to provide that little bit of extra help.

A special thanks to all those in our communities who are already volunteers giving their time to help others. God Save the King!