The Archbishop of Wales, Most Rev Andrew John, is leading the way in calls for volunteers to get stuck in with the Big Help Out.

Archbishop Andrew will be taking to the coast in a bid to raise awareness of the perils of plastic pollution, dedicating two hours of his bank holiday to cleaning up a beach in North Wales.

He’s far from the only church leader to back The Big Help Out. The Archbishops of Canterbury and York joined other faith leaders at a Christian homelessness charity in London last month, where they served food and sorted donations.

The trip was a coordinated effort to inspire others to volunteer their time to worthy causes.

It’s hoped the initiative will encourage people to give back to charities in their local area and foster community spirit in the wake of the Coronation.

Archbishop Andrew says, “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 added, "That’s why volunteering is such an amazing gift to celebrate, why giving is such an important part of our Christian faith and why The Big Help Out festival is the perfect way to mark our King’s Coronation.”

Brendan Cox, Co-Founder of the Together Coalition, which is organising the Big Help Out, says, “The support from more than 30 leaders of faith and belief groups, representing millions of people all over the UK, reflects the huge backing for the Big Help Out.

“The UK’s faith communities excel at volunteering and bringing people together. That’s why we are excited about what they can contribute to the Big Help Out.

“Today’s intervention from senior leaders from the UK’s faith and belief groups, spanning the four nations, is a call to action for the faith communities to build the next generation of volunteers.”