The National Lottery and ITV invites the public to ‘Miss Out’ on their favourite ITV show to ‘Help Out’ in their local community
20th November 2020
A spotlight is being shone on people who give up their time to help communities, thanks to a new campaign from The National Lottery, ITV and STV. Miss Out To Help Out is encouraging the public to miss out on their favourite TV shows and use that time to ‘help out’ in their community.
In the spirit of the initiative, sports promoter Eddie Hearn gave some of his time this week to participate in virtual volunteering for Sporting Memories, a UK wide charity set up to tackle dementia, depression and loneliness by using the power of sport.
Acting as a session supporter, Eddie joined 12 Sporting Memories Club members in an online session designed to use the joy of talking about and remembering sport to spark lively conversation and fond memories. The sessions also include gentle physical activity to further increase wellbeing. The club is just one of the many thousands of community groups across the UK supported by some of the £30million raised by National Lottery players each week for good causes.
The Miss Out to Help Out campaign comes as a new report from The National Lottery shows that the work of volunteers is appreciated even more than usual due to the impact coronavirus has had on the UK. The study of 6,000 adults[1] reveals that admiration for volunteers has risen since the start of the pandemic, as it has done with NHS staff and key workers.
Over three quarters of people (77%) said they admire those who give their time to volunteer to help worthwhile causes, with almost two thirds (62%) saying they value the work of volunteers more highly since the crisis began in March – just behind NHS workers (70%).
The survey also highlighted that we appear to be a nation of volunteers without really knowing it. Almost 2 in 3 (60%) respondents said they have selflessly helped others in the past twelve months, yet only only 1 in 3 (37%) of those people said they had volunteered in the last 12 months.
“Volunteering with The Sporting Memories Foundation this week was a really rewarding experience. To witness first-hand the impact you can have on the wellbeing of an individual just by giving a small amount of your time to help out was so nice to see. I’d like to encourage everyone who has a bit of time to spare to go to MissOutTohelpOut.com to explore how they can support their local community. It’s amazing what you can do even in the time it takes to watch 12 rounds of boxing and the positive impact that you can have on the lives of others.”
Eddie Hearn said:
“We are of course delighted that Eddie joined us in our online Club. The time he has given has made it a very special session for our Club members, leading to lots of lively conversation and insights into the world of boxing and sport promotion. Volunteers are our lifeblood, and they bring their skills and dedication to over 130 Sporting Memories Clubs each year, across England, Scotland and Wales. “As a response to the pandemic, we launched our #TalkAboutSport campaign. It is aimed at providing everyone with a way to tackle loneliness, particularly among older people. Our volunteers have moved to running many of our clubs online, provided additional resources to help everyone talk about and remember sport, as well as appearing on our weekly national radio series and handing out our Sporting Pink paper – and that’s just a small selection! We are incredibly proud of them.”
Chris Wilkins, Co-Founder of Sporting Memories, said:
: “We know - from the thousands of projects we fund each year – that people who give up their time to help their communities and make things happen are incredibly important. Small acts of kindness are needed now more than ever as we all adapt to profound changes during the COVID-19 pandemic. I hope, through this campaign, more people will be inspired to lend a helping hand in communities across the UK. Thanks to National Lottery players, over £800 million has been distributed to date across the UK to help tackle the impact of coronavirus.”
Faiza Khan MBE, Director of Engagement and Insight at The National Lottery Community Fund, said:
Clare Phillips, Director of Social Purpose at ITV, said: “One of the core components of ITV’s social purpose strategy is to give back to local communities, and this special collaboration with The National Lottery is all about asking our audiences to come forward and give their time and support to benefit others. Helping out doesn’t need to be a huge undertaking - just a small amount of time can make a big difference.”
Clare Phillips, Director of Social Purpose at ITV, said
Anyone interested in finding out how they can help out in their local area – can visit MissOuttoHelpOut.com and see what is available in their community. The easy to use website is being supported by volunteering organisations all across the UK and will direct people to opportunities near to where they live, including virtual volunteering for those currently unable to leave the house. There are opportunities for people to help out in any way they can, no matter how much time they have or where they live. It all makes a difference.
To find out more information on volunteering and available opportunities please search ‘Miss Out to Help Out’ or visit www.missouttohelpout.com.