The Parish Magazine May 2023

feature — 1
In need of a break from the Coronation?
We will probably never know how many hundreds of
millions of eyes around the world will be turned towards
London during the first week of May when King Charles
and Queen Camilla are crowned. In 1953 when Queen
Elizabeth was crowned it was estimated that in the UK
alone 27 million people from a population of 36 million
watched her Coronation on television.
The Parish Magazine - May 2023 21
It was 40 years later that the World Wide Web was opened
for everybody by the European Organization for Nuclear
Research (CERN). In January this year there were 5.16
billion internet users worldwide, that's almost 65% of the
world's population and almost all of them will have the
opportunity to watch the Coronation.
While we are all enjoying the good news and
Frank Roeder, dreamstime.com
celebrations of the Coronation during the first week of May, there will probably be some charities and associations who
would have preferred it to be held at a different time of the year because it clashes with their fund and awareness raising
events that they have been planning for the same period of time.
So if you would like a welcome break from the Coronation take a look at how you might be able to support any of the
following events that are all being held from 2-8 May:
Maternal Mental Health Awareness Week, 1–7 May: Organised by the Perinatal Mental Health Partnership
UK (PMHP UK), each day will have a different theme designed to raise public and professional awareness of perinatal
mental health problems; advocating for women and families impacted by it; changing attitudes; and helping people access
the information, care and support they need to recover. More details from:
https://maternalmentalhealthalliance.org/news/maternal-mental-health-awareness-week-2023/
Sun Awareness Week, 1–7 May: Organised by the British Association of Dermatologists, it marks the start of a
summer long campaign to provide people with information so they can practice sun safety. This year’s focus will be on the
need for sun protection in the UK and aims to tackle misconceptions that sun protection is rarely needed in the UK.
https://www.bad.org.uk/sun-awareness-week-2023/
Deaf Awareness Week, 2–8 May: run by the UK Council on Deafness. The theme this year is deaf inclusion within
our communities and access to communication. The aim is to highlight the impact of hearing loss on everyday life and
increase visibility and inclusion of deaf people.
https://ukcod.org/deaf-awareness-week-2023/
National Gardening Week, 1–7 May: Organised by the Royal Horticultural Society, this annual event started in
2012 and is now the nation’s biggest celebration of gardening. It aims to raise awareness of the difference that gardens
and gardening can make to the lives of everyone in the UK. It inspires more people, particularly the young, to experience
the joy of growing and creating beautiful green spaces. This year it has a royal theme.
https://www.rhs.org.uk/get-involved/national-gardening-week/
Viral Meningitis Awareness Week, 2–8 May: The organisers' vision is that in the future no-one in the UK loses
their life to meningitis and everyone affected gets the support they need to rebuild their lives. More details from:
https://www.meningitisnow.org/support-us/news-centre/public-affairs/campaigns/viral-meningitis-week/
Monday 8 May — Volunteering Day in Pearson Hall
Back to the Coronation, don't forget Big Help Out on Monday 8 May when
communities around the country will be staging a volunteer awareness day for
clubs, organisations and local charities who will have representatives available
to talk about the many and various ways that people can get involved with their
local communities by volunteering. Our local Big Help Out will be in Pearson
Hall from 11.30am – 2.30pm for local charities, societies and organisations to
showcase their activities and attract new members and volunteers. Teas and
cake, served by members of Sonning WI, will be available to buy. At the time of
going to press there was no information available about a Big Help Out being held
in Charvil.