Spirit of 2012 supported Hull 2017 UK City of Culture as one of its principal partners, helping the city realise the transformative potential of arts and culture on the wellbeing and civic pride of its residents. Part of our grant was to support the pilot and then delivery of Hull’s landmark volunteering programme. Across the Year of Culture, more than 2,500 volunteers worked with the dedicated staff team to deliver this outstanding cultural programme.

As 2017 drew to a close, there was a high level of enthusiasm and commitment amongst volunteers, partners and across the city for the volunteer programme to continue. In response to this demand, in 2019, Spirit awarded £600,000 to Absolutely Cultured (previously Hull 2017 Culture Company), to extend the programme for 2 years.

A further award of £200,000 was then made to Hull City Council in 2021, to develop the volunteering programme for three more years. This grant supported the integration of the volunteering programme into the Visit Hull and East Yorkshire Tourism Partnership (VHEY), with a focus on expansion beyond Hull into the whole East Yorkshire region.

The programme continues, now fully funded by Hull City Council, and known as HEY! Volunteering.

The volunteering programme that emerged from Hull 2017 is widely regarded as a successful long-term event volunteering programme, and is seen as a particularly significant legacy of Hull’s City of Culture year. The “scandalous blue”-clad army of volunteers was one of the most visible features of Hull’s year as City of Culture, with participants undertaking hundreds of thousands of hours of volunteering over the 8 years of our funding. They have become integral to the fabric of the city and it’s cultural and visitor economy offer.

For participating individuals the volunteer experience supports people to develop new skills as well as discover – or rediscover – existing aptitudes, and this personal development is central to the multiple legacies created by volunteering programmes such as Hull’s.

The common thread in all our conversations with Hull’s volunteers is their enjoyment of the experience – and the powerful knock-on effect this has on their self-confidence. “I actually think becoming a volunteer is the best thing I’ve done so far in my life,” one volunteer told us. “I’m not very confident so I didn’t have the guts to take part initially – now I’ve improved so much,” said another. The programme has helped people realise just how much they have to offer to their community – a huge asset for the city, and one that must be tapped into in the years to come.

The City of Culture programme overall has profoundly affected how Hull residents think about their city – and how they perceive it is viewed by others. Whilst many residents have long been proud to say they’re from Hull, there was a sense that this was a defensive pride, an attitude adopted in defiance of the city’s negative reputation among outsiders. No more. At our Spirit Summit in October, one volunteer perfectly encapsulated this change: “People in Hull used to look at the ground – now they look at the sky.” The skilled and enthusiastic volunteer team have changed their own perceptions of their city and, crucially, have played a key role in changing that perception in others.