Eight free volunteering festivals coming to East Hampshire
East Hampshire’s volunteering festival programme opens at Grayshott Sports Pavilion on Friday 21 August, from 6pm to 8pm. The eight free events are open to the public and intended for local residents interested in helping charities, community groups, societies and clubs.
Seven further festivals will follow across East Hampshire in September. The programme includes venues in Four Marks, Alton, Whitehill, Horndean, Liss, Petersfield and Froyle, with the final three gatherings taking place on Saturday 26 September.
East Hampshire District Council says organisations serving both individual communities and the wider district will participate. Councillor Adeel Shah, the council’s portfolio holder for community development and engagement, said the festivals would give residents a local view of the volunteering opportunities available where they live.
Eight dates and venues across the district
The published schedule runs for just over five weeks, with daytime and evening options available:
| Venue | Date and time |
|---|---|
| Grayshott Sports Pavilion | Friday 21 August, 6pm–8pm |
| Four Marks Village Hall | Saturday 19 September, 11am–2pm |
| Dementia Friendly Alton, Alton Assembly Rooms | Wednesday 23 September, 10am–3pm |
| Forest Community Centre, Whitehill | Thursday 24 September, 2pm–4pm |
| Merchistoun Hall, Horndean | Friday 25 September, 2.30pm–6.30pm |
| Liss Royal British Legion | Saturday 26 September, 9am–4pm |
| Winton House and Homestart Butser, Petersfield | Saturday 26 September, 10am–2pm |
| Froyle Safari Supper, Froyle Village Hall | Saturday 26 September, 6pm |
The three events on 26 September are in different parts of East Hampshire and have overlapping schedules. Residents deciding between them will therefore need to choose the location and time that best fit their plans.
Local groups will show how residents can take part
The festivals are designed to let charities, community groups, societies and clubs explain their work and demonstrate the different ways residents can become involved. The council describes the participating organisations as a mixture of district-wide bodies and groups focused on particular towns or villages.
No complete exhibitor list is included in the published notice, so it does not confirm which causes or roles will appear at each venue. Shah said the programme was intended to cover different skills and personal interests rather than a single type of volunteering.
The series is being organised by East Hampshire District Council. It is part-funded through the council’s Grow Up programme using the UK Government’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund.
Entry details to check before travelling
The programme is listed as free and open to the public. The council notice does not provide separate booking instructions, transport guidance or accessibility details, so anyone requiring those arrangements should confirm them with the organiser before attending.
Seven listings include both start and finish times. For the Froyle Safari Supper at Froyle Village Hall, the published schedule gives only a 6pm start time.
Source: East Hampshire District Council News
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The event dates, venues, times and participation details were drawn from East Hampshire District Council’s published programme.
- Matched all eight venue and date listings to the council schedule.
- Retained the published start and finish times without estimating missing hours.
- Confirmed the programme is described as free and open to the public.
- Excluded unsupported booking, transport and accessibility claims.
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- East Hampshire District Council News
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- East Hampshire
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- 2026-08-19 13:41
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