The Queen has showcased the power of volunteers to the President
of Germany as she put those who help others at the heart of the
State Visit.
After the pomp and ceremony of the first day of the German
visit, the focus was on guide dog trainers and lunch makers as this
vital trip continued.
State Visits cement the links between the two countries involved
and King Charles and Queen Camilla were comparing notes with
Frank-Walter Steinmeier and his wife, Elke Budenbender, as Germany
and the UK have big volunteer led events happening at almost the
same time next summer.
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Between June 5 and June 8 2026, people across the UK will take
part in a weekend of community action. It will see the Big Lunch,
the annual initiative which sees communities come together to share
food and company, combine forces with the Big Help Out which
encourages people to try out volunteering.
The Big Help Out is very special to The King and Queen as it
began in 2023 to mark their Coronation.
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On May 23 2026, “Der Ehrentag” is happening in
Germany. It means ”Day of Honour” and it was initiated by President
Steinmeier to mark the birthday of the country’s modern
constitution. It will see people across Germany encouraged to
volunteer and help others.
To showcase the power of volunteers, The King and Queen brought
together a range of those who help others for a special event at
Windsor Castle.
It was hosted by by Matt Hyde, Chair of The Big Help Out, and
Andy Jasper, CEO of the Eden Project, which runs the Big Lunch.
They were joined by representatives of more than a dozen charities
who chatted to King Charles, Queen Camilla and President Steinmeier
about the work they do in the community.
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Among them were people who train guide dogs to support those who
are blind or partially sighted and volunteers at food banks.
CEO of the Eden Project, Andy Jasper, said ”There has never been
a more important time to bring people and communities together and
to support them to take positive action where they live….there is
something for everyone and by working together we can grow
connections, strengthen our communities – and have a good time
doing it!’
Matt Hyde OBE, Co-Founder of The Big Help Out and CEO of the
Lloyds Bank Foundation said ”‘We are thrilled that The Big Help Out
is returning in 2026 and we’re particularly pleased that it will be
hosted by our friends at Eden alongside The Big Lunch. These two
fantastic initiatives bring people together in communities,
encouraging them to connect, have fun and take action on causes
they care about.”
The Big Lunch is one of the biggest community initiatives in the
UK and has been running since 2009. Queen Camilla became its patron
while still Duchess of Cornwall and has been a high profile
supporter of it through the years. She looked particularly happy to
be showcasing the power of volunteering as day two of the State
Visit got under way.
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The Queen often shows her support for community groups and only
last month welcomed a pop up food van to Clarence House to
spotlight the new digital platform of the Royal Voluntary Service.
It aims to match people who want to help others with those who need
support in their local communities.
To launch the initiative, Queen Camilla hopped into a food van
alongside Spudman to serve up hot food as an example of how others
can join in and help out.
The second day of the State Visit also saw President Steinmeier
pay a private visit to the tomb of Queen Elizabeth II where he and
Elke Budenbender laid a wreath.
The President later travelled to east London where he was set to
visit the V&A Storehouse.
If you want to join up for the Big Lunch or Big Help Out, there
is information on a special website.
