The Good Guide: November 2025

Welcome to The Good Guide - your go-to source for exciting, feel-good events that make a real difference!

From creative festivals to volunteering challenges, we’ve rounded up the best ways for you to get involved, give back, and have some fun this November.

Being Human Festival
 📍 Nationwide
 📅 6th–15th November
 🔗 https://beinghumanfestival.org
 A UK-wide festival of creativity and ideas - think art workshops, walking tours, live talks, performances - all about exploring what it really means to be human. Most events are free, so check what’s happening near you and dive in.

Sleep Out 2025 (by EveryYouth)
 📍 London (Museum of the Home, E2 8EA)
 📅 13th November 2025
 🔗 https://everyyouth.enthuse.com/cf/sleep-out-2025/
 Give up your bed for one night in support of young people facing homelessness. This event by EveryYouth challenges participants to sleep out in recognition (not replication) of homelessness - raising funds for safe homes, mental-health support and opportunities. 

World Kindness Day
 📍 UK wide
 📅 13th November
 📣 A day to go out of your way to be kind - check in on a friend, buy someone a coffee, volunteer some time. Kindness is contagious, so let’s start a chain reaction of good vibes.

Anti-Bullying Week
 📍 Schools, workplaces & communities across the UK
 📅 17th–21st November
 Theme: “Choose Respect.”
 From odd-socks days to awareness activities, this week celebrates individuality and stands up for kindness. Grab a mismatched pair of socks, wear them proudly and join the wave of respect and support. 

Volunteering Opportunities - November

Looking for ways to give back this month?

From foodbanks to river clean-ups, here are some brilliant opportunities to get involved across the UK.

📍 London & Greater London

• Thames21 - Regular riverbank and foreshore clean-ups, including River Litter Detectives - Queenhithe (13 Nov).
   🔗 thames21.org.uk/events/category/volunteer
   
• ZSL (Zoological Society of London) – Join citizen-science projects monitoring pollution and river health across the Thames.
   🔗 https://www.zsl.org/what-we-do/projects/volunteer-londons-rivers
   
• Camley Street Natural Park – Weekly Thursday conservation sessions in King’s Cross with London Wildlife Trust.
   🔗 londonwt.teamkinetic.co.uk
   
• Don’s Local Action Group – Help at food-bank stalls, deliver supplies, or volunteer at community support hubs in South West London.
   🔗 donslocalaction.org/volunteer
   
• Crisis Skylight London – Support people experiencing homelessness through classes, mentoring, or event volunteering.
   🔗 crisis.org.uk/get-involved/volunteer
   
• The Felix Project – Rescue surplus food and deliver it to charities across London.
   🔗 thefelixproject.org/help-us/volunteer-london
   
• Trussell Trust Foodbanks – Help sort donations, pack parcels, or meet visitors at food-bank centres across the capital.
   🔗 trusselltrust.org/get-involved/volunteer
   
• Shelter London – Volunteer in charity shops, fundraising events, or campaigns tackling housing injustice.
   🔗 england.shelter.org.uk/support_us/volunteer
   
• EveryYouth Sleep Out 2025 – 13 Nov 2025 | Museum of the Home, London
   Give up your bed for one night to support young people facing homelessness.
   🔗 everyyouth.enthuse.com/cf/sleep-out-2025

📍 Birmingham / Midlands

• Friends of the Cole Valley – Join local litter-picks and river clean-ups around the Cole Valley.
   🔗 cleanupuk.org.uk
   
• Moseley Litterbusters – Weekly community litter-picks (equipment provided).
   🔗 bosf.org.uk
   
• TCV Midlands – Help with conservation, gardening, and winter-habitat projects.
   🔗 tcv.org.uk/midlands
   
• Birmingham Parks Friends Groups – Park maintenance and habitat care across the city.
   🔗 birmingham.gov.uk/volunteering_and_work_experience_in_parks
   
• Birmingham Settlement – Get involved in community green-space and sustainability projects.
   🔗 birminghamsettlement.org.uk

📍 Leeds / Yorkshire

• Aire Rivers Trust – Volunteer in riverbank conservation and citizen-science monitoring.
   🔗 aireriverstrust.org.uk/river-monitoring
   
• Hollybush TCV – Join this community hub for food-growing, gardening, and conservation.
   🔗 tcv.org.uk/hollybush
   
• Leeds Foodbanks (Trussell Trust) – Help pack parcels or greet visitors at local centres.
   🔗 trusselltrust.org/get-involved/volunteer
   
• St George’s Crypt – Support homelessness services with kitchen, retail, or event volunteering.
   🔗 stgeorgescrypt.org.uk

📍 Edinburgh / Scotland

• Water of Leith Conservation Trust – Join weekly clean-ups and walkway maintenance.
   🔗 waterofleith.org.uk/volunteering
   
• Edinburgh Food Project – Support food-bank centres across the city.
   🔗 edinburghfoodproject.org
   
• Social Bite – Volunteer in cafés tackling homelessness through community dining.
   🔗 social-bite.co.uk/get-involved/volunteering
   
• Edinburgh Dog & Cat Home – Help with animal care and rehoming.
   🔗 edch.org.uk/support-us/volunteer
   
• TCV Scotland – Green-space volunteering across the region.
   🔗 tcv.org.uk/scotland

📍 Cardiff / South Wales

• Cardiff Rivers Group – Regular river, stream, and pond clean-ups.
   🔗 cardiffriversgroup.co.uk
   
• FareShare Cymru – Help redistribute surplus food to charities.
   🔗 fareshare.cymru
   
• Llamau – Volunteer supporting young people and women at risk of homelessness.
   🔗 llamau.org.uk
   
• Keep Wales Tidy – Take part in litter-picks and local clean-up campaigns.
   🔗 keepwalestidy.cymru/get-involved/volunteering
   
• Cardiff Foodbanks (Trussell Trust) – Volunteer to pack and distribute food parcels.
   🔗 trusselltrust.org/get-involved/volunteer

📍 Coastal & National

• Marine Conservation Society – Join beach cleans and storm-season “autumn watch” events.
   🔗 mcsuk.org/beachcleans
   
• Surfers Against Sewage – Take part in the Million Mile Clean across coasts, rivers, and streets.
   🔗 sas.org.uk/plastic-pollution/million-mile-clean
   
• Canal & River Trust – Maintain locks, towpaths, and waterways nationwide.
   🔗 canalrivertrust.org.uk/volunteer
   
• The Rivers Trust – Find a local river-conservation project near you.
   🔗 theriverstrust.org/take-action/volunteer-opportunities
   
• Planet Patrol – Join nationwide litter-picks or eco-events through the Planet Patrol app.
   🔗 planetpatrol.co/clean-ups