King's Coronation: Big Help Out volunteers in Wales needed

People across Wales are being encouraged to use Monday's extra bank holiday to volunteer.

Rugby players Leigh Halfpenny and Jamie Roberts joined a litter pick in Newport, while the Archbishop of Wales will raise awareness of plastic pollution at a beach clean in Gwynedd.

The Big Help Out is taking place across the UK to mark the King's Coronation.

It is one of the official projects aimed at promoting opportunities and inspiring more people to volunteer.

"I think the Coronation's a big event for the British public and it's a time when we should come together and something like this is a way of doing it," said Roberts.

Halfpenny added: "It's important we look after our communities and that's what the Big Help Out is all about." 

The Lord Lieutenant of Gwent, Robert Aitken, who has arranged a series of litter picks across the area, said the best gift he could give to the King who "has everything" was a letter outlining how many tonnes of litter had been collected.

"We thought cleaning up the countryside and cleaning up the area would really touch him," he said.

Archbishop of Wales Andrew John will volunteer at a beach clean at Dinas Dinlle, near Caernarfon, Gwynedd.

"There's a secret volunteers have that not many people know and it's this: When you give freely, you always get more back in return," he said.

At Holyhead on Anglesey, members of Girlguiding Cymru will earn a special badge after clearing away invasive species at Penrhos Coastal Park with the help of Rangers.

The Rainbows will do a beach clean and Brownies will be doing a litter pick, with about 120 young people helping.

"We have lots of parents and volunteers lending a hand too," said Louise Marsden, a Girlguiding and Rangers leader in Holyhead.

"We want to use the day to highlight that we are volunteers and help in the community."

Kirsty Lockwood, a Beavers scout leader for 1st Presteigne Scouts in Powys, is hoping volunteers will help to decorate and renovate the scout hut after a break-in and vandalism last September.

"This is our first opportunity to organise everything again and sort out our stores and redecoration," she said.

"A member of the community kindly came to fix our barbecue as it had been broken so we welcome anyone who can come over to help."