Eight leading charities and adventurer Bear Grylls are urging Britons to take action for nature on their doorsteps. This is part of a major nationwide campaign celebrating Sir David Attenborough’s birthday.
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David Attenborough’s birthday: The Big Help Out unites communities
The Big Help Out, running from 5–8 June, will for the first time unite The Big Lunch and the UK’s largest volunteering initiative. The aim is to connect communities and inspire environmental action, with organizers expecting more than 10 million people to participate.
Eight prominent organisations champion the call, including Eden Project, RSPB, The Wildlife Trusts, Butterfly Conservation. It also includes Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE), The Conservation Volunteers, Canal & River Trust, and RSPCA.
The nation receives an invitation to celebrate Attenborough’s lifelong legacy by showing love for nature. It is inspired by his recent BBC series Secret Garden.
The UK ranks among the world’s most nature-depleted countries, sitting in the top 10 per cent globally for biodiversity loss. This decline threatens not only the environment but also the nation’s resilience to climate change.
The RSPCA’s Animal Kindness Index Report 2025 reveals great public concern for wildlife’s future. More people now worry about global wildlife (78 per cent) and UK wildlife (73 per cent) than in 2024.
UK gardens form a vast but often overlooked network for nature. Covering an area more than three times the size of all National Nature Reserves.
Even small home-based actions make a real difference, from planting wildflower patches for local bees to building bug hotels. Collectively, these efforts help nature recover while creating opportunities for neighbours to connect, make friends, and build stronger communities.
“As an adventurer, you soon learn that the great outdoors gives us everything, challenge, perspective, and life itself! It connects us to nature, and to each other. Now it’s our turn to have fun giving something back,” Bear Grylls, supporting both initiatives, said.
Eden Project launches first-ever flower count for centenary
During the weekend, as part of its 25th anniversary, the Eden Project will launch the first-ever flower count across its outdoor gardens. The annual count will track how plants respond to climate change.
Around 75 per cent of volunteers report improved mental health, and 89 per cent say they feel they are making a difference. Evidence shows a ‘double boost’ effect, where helping nature combines volunteering benefits with wellbeing gains from outdoor time.
In 2023, 72 per cent of participants in CPRE’s Big Help Out citizen science opportunity, ‘Hedgelife Help Out’, felt closer to nature. Yet nearly one in five people say they have never volunteered simply because no one ever asked.
Communities can turn shared moments into lasting change by making space for nature during their celebrations. Ideas include collaborating with neighbours to create hedgehog highways and sowing wildflowers together in overlooked community spaces.
Similar action already happens across the UK through initiatives such as Co-op’s Nature Neighbourhoods programme. This supports communities creating greener, wildlife-friendly spaces, and The Wildlife Trusts’ 30 Days Wild challenge.
Just imagine a world of gardens without borders. Imagine a moment where people all over the country created corridors for wildlife to create the largest reserve in the country. Can you imagine such an outrageous act of generosity and encouragement to the natural world?,” Sir Tim SMITH, co-founder of the Eden Project, said.
Meanwhile, earlier this year, UK charities entered 2026 under severe financial pressure, which could affect their service delivery. Reduced funding and rising operational costs are forcing difficult decisions across the sector.