Pride Month, 1st to 30th June
Pride Month is a celebration that recognises the LGBTQ+ community, the challenges they face, and their contributions to society. Everyone is asked to stand in solidarity with their fight for equality, acceptance, and human rights. Pride Month is a joyful and colourful display of love, unity, and resilience, with events and activities that promote inclusivity, educate the public, and celebrate the diversity of sexual orientations and gender identities.
You can find out more about Pride and its history, and see a full, searchable calendar of global Pride events at https://www.iglta.org/events/pride-calendar/
SANDS (Stillbirth and Neonatal Death Charity) Awareness Month, 1st to 30th June
Each year in the UK, over 4,000 babies are stillborn or die within the first four weeks of life.
SANDS was founded in 1978 by bereaved parents who had experienced a lack of support after the loss of a baby, and it has grown into a leading UK charity. It provides vital services, such as a free national helpline, local support groups, and online resources for anyone affected by baby loss. It also advocates for improved maternity care and works closely with healthcare professionals to improve training and support best practices.
SANDS Awareness Month provides a dedicated time for national conversation, remembrance, and action, helping to reduce stigma and promote understanding.
There are lots of ways to get involved:
- Take part in fundraising events such as sponsored activities or community gatherings
- Share stories and resources on social media to help break the silence and spread awareness
- Wear the SANDS Awareness ribbon or other merchandise to show your support
- Attend remembrance services to honour babies who have died and support grieving families
- Donate to SANDS to help fund research, support services, and educational programmes
- Use these hashtags to help share the message on social media: #SANDAwarenessMonth #BabylossAwareness #RememberingOurBabies #SANDSUK #BreakTheSilence #SupportSANDS
Find out more about SANDS and what you can do to support the cause at https://www.sands.org.uk.
Volunteers’ Week, 1st to 7th June
Volunteers’ week is a UK-wide celebration and recognition of the contribution of volunteers across all sectors. It was launched in 1884 to provide organisations and communities with a platform to thank volunteers for their invaluable efforts. Volunteering has an enormously positive impact on communities and is a huge part of our society.
- 14.2 million people in the UK have formally volunteered at least once a month
- Volunteering added £4.6 billion in productivity gains to the UK economy in 2024
- 25 million people in the UK volunteered informally at least once in the year
Volunteers’ Week focuses on thanking volunteers who make an incredible difference to the local communities, causes, charities and individuals that they support. You can use the hashtag #VolunteersWeek and/or #WythnosGwirfoddolwyr to share your own stories of amazing volunteers, and find resources and more at https://volunteersweek.org.
World Environment Day, 5th June
The UN’s World Environment Day 2026 aims to rally the world around the urgency of climate action by encouraging worldwide awareness and action for the environment.
The 2026 theme highlights that climate action is not just about reducing carbon emissions, it is about rethinking how we live and do things on a global scale, and repairing our relationship with the climate. By doing so, we can secure a safer, healthier, and more just future for all.
The main events this year are being hosted by Azerbaijan, but there are events, campaigns, and creative actions being held throughout the world, nationally and in local communities. Find out more at https://www.worldenvironmentday.global.
Carers Week, 8th to 14th June
A Carer is anyone who looks after a family member or friend who has a disability, mental or physical illness, addiction, or who needs extra help as they grow older. Many people feel that caring is very important and rewarding, but it can be difficult, isolating and financially demanding, and often has a huge impact on the carer’s own work and personal life. Caring without the right information and support can be tough.
Carers Week is an annual campaign to raise awareness, highlight the challenges unpaid carers face and recognise the contribution they make to families and communities throughout the UK. It also helps people who don't think of themselves as having caring responsibilities to identify as carers and access much-needed support. Carers Week 2026 calls on individuals and organisations to help to build carer-friendly communities.
You can find resources and help to understand more about caring and contribute to a carer-friendly society at https://www.carersweek.org/building-carer-friendly-communities/.
Men’s Health Week, 8th to 14th June
Men’s Health Week aims to champion and highlight men’s health at a time when many men ignore, dismiss, or are worried about keeping an eye on their own health.
Their top five previous themes are:
- Beat Stress – Mental health is a hot topic in men’s health. For MHW 2016 a variety of simple resources were produced including a video which calmed people down every time they watched it!
- Man MOT – Taking notice of our bodies rather than taking them for granted is a key health message. For MHW 2022 there were Man MOT manuals, training and free resources to encourage men to do checks and take challenges to keep them physically and mentally fit.
- Know your Numbers – Men are often thought to be obsessed with numbers but when it comes to their own health, there are quite a few unknowns. MHW 2019 tried to put that right with all sorts of resources including a quiz.
- Men’s health and the Internet – For the sixteenth birthday of the iPhone, MHW 2023 asked what the implications for men’s health are when we all walk around with a high-performance computer in our pocket.
- Specific health issues – MHW 2017 was all about belly fat: a type of fat that's bad for your health and which men are more likely to have. MHW 2018 focused on the prevention of diabetes and living with it. MHW 2024 was about the prostate: a small organ that, as prostate cancer cases rise, can have a big impact on a man’s life.
You can find out about this year’s theme and discover plenty of resources from this year and previous campaigns at https://www.menshealthforum.org.uk/mhw.
Diabetes Week, 8th to 14th June
Diabetes is a chronic condition causing high blood sugar due to a lack of, or difficulty using insulin in the body. Type 1 diabetes is caused by an autoimmune reaction, and is often diagnosed in childhood. Type 2 is the most common, and is often driven by Obesity and lifestyle choices. Symptoms include:
- Extreme thirst
- Fatigue
- Frequent urination
Diabetes is serious, but can be managed by monitoring blood glucose levels, taking medication (such as insulin injections), and maintaining a healthy diet. If it is not well managed, it can lead to severe issues like kidney failure, heart disease, stroke, and sight loss.
Diabetes Week shines a light on what it’s like to live with diabetes. This Diabetes Week continues Diabetes UK’s campaign to Strike Out Stigma. Stigma causes harm, because blame and judgement can stop people getting the support they deserve, and the care they need. In a recent survey,
- More than 50% said that stigma or shame sometimes made them avoid medical appointments
- More than 70% said they experience blame and judgement for their condition
- People from ethnic minority communities are more likely to experience diabetes stigma
- 60% of people said stigma impacted their own self-confidence
- 1 in 5 experience stigma in the workplace every few weeks
- Stigma is most commonly experienced close to home, from friends and family members
Find out more and get involved at https://www.diabetes.org.uk/support-us/diabetes-week.
Bike Week, 8th to 14th June
Cycling UK’s Bike Week is the UK’s biggest celebration of cycling and a chance to show how cycling can make everyday life better – healthier, happier and greener for people and communities across the country.
Whether you cycle every day, ride occasionally or haven’t been on a bike in years, you can take part! Bike Week is about celebrating cycling in a way that works for you. You may simply want to go out for a cycle, or try swapping a short car journey for a bike ride to get involved, but if you want to do more, there are two main events to join in with this year:
- Host a Bike Week Brunch – This is a simple, sociable way to celebrate Bike Week and support Cycling UK by bringing people together around cycling and community, raising funds and spreading the word. You can find a Bike Week Brunch fundraising pack on the website, full of ideas, tips and resources
- Join The Big Bike Revival – There are free, friendly local sessions across the country to help adults build confidence, build skills or get back into cycling
Find out more about cycling in the UK, register for a Bike Week Brunch or find out how to join in The Big Bike Revival at https://www.cyclinguk.org/bikeweek.
World Blood Donor Day, 14th June
On average, 4,300 blood donations are needed every day in the UK.
In 2022, a major UK survey found that:
- Only 7% of adults are regular donors
- 58% of adults had never donated blood before
- The number of individuals aged 18-24 who had never donated blood was 70%
- Only 11% of this age group were regular donors
This picture is not unique to the UK, blood donations are needed in higher numbers throughout the world. World Blood Donor Day (WBDD) is celebrated every year to raise awareness of the need for safe blood and blood products and to thank voluntary, unpaid blood donors for their life-saving gifts of blood.
A blood service that gives patients good access to safe blood and blood products is a key component of an effective health system. The global theme of World Blood Donor Day changes each year in recognition of the selfless individuals who donate their blood for people unknown to them.
Every year’s World Blood Donor Day has its own theme – you can see all the themes and find out more about how to join in at https://www.who.int/campaigns/world-blood-donor-day. You can also find out more about donating blood in the UK at https://www.blood.co.uk.
Learning Disability Week, 15th to 21st June
Learning Disability Week is designed to celebrate what people with a learning disability bring to society, and to share what life is like for people with a learning disability. The theme for 2026 is ‘Do you see me?’ and focuses on people with learning disabilities being seen, heard and valued.
Mencap campaigns all year to raise awareness, challenge the barriers that people with learning disabilities face, and champion ways for them to live life to the full. This week is a great time to get involved. You can join Mencap’s ‘One Big Walk’ to raise funds and awareness, share your own story, or talk about the great things people with learning disabilities are doing in your community.
You can find information, videos and resources, and sign up for the walk and other events at https://www.mencap.org.uk/what-we-do/mencap-shops
Autistic Pride Day, 18th June
Autistic Pride Day is led by Autistic people and driven by the belief that pride, visibility and inclusion are not optional — they are essential. This is a day to celebrate Autistic identity, share free resources, and build inclusive communities around the world, celebrating neurodiversity and challenging outdated narratives.
The aim is to create a world where Autistic people are respected, supported, and unapologetically themselves every day of the year, pushing for real change across schools, workplaces and public life. An inclusive world for Autistic people is a better world for everyone.
Autistic Pride Day 2026 makes the statement ‘Noticing is not the same as acting’, and sees the launch of the demand for an Autism Standard. Across workplaces, governments, and institutions, the conversation around autism has never been louder. However, the way funding and hiring decisions are made have not changed, and very few systems measure whether autistic people are actually okay. The campaign is already in conversation with government departments, employers and institutions ahead of the launch.
Find a free toolkit to help you join in and help to make a difference at https://autisticprideday.org.
National Clean Air Day, 18th June
Air pollution is associated with between 29,000 and 43,000 deaths a year in the UK. The World Health Organization and the UK Government both recognise that air pollution is the largest environmental threat to our health, and this is a day to do something about it.
The aim of Clean Air Day is to:
- Focus attention on air pollution
- Reach new audiences with a big day of action
- Improve public understanding and increase levels of air pollution-busting behaviours
- Showcase that a cleaner air future is both possible and desirable
- Promote new and better forms of clean-air transport
- Demonstrate large-scale support for clean air, giving decision-makers a mandate to implement the system changes required
Find out how air pollution is harming our health, and download resources to use and share on the Global Action Plan website: https://www.actionforcleanair.org.uk/campaigns/clean-air-day.
UK Windrush Day, 22nd June
Today marks the sixth national celebration of Windrush Day and 75 years since the HMT Empire Windrush arrived at Tilbury Docks in Essex, carrying the first, mostly Caribbean, migrants to the UK, who came to help rebuild Britain after the Second World War.
This is a day to recognise and thank all those who arrived on the Empire Windrush (known as the Windrush Generation), and their descendants, for the enormous contributions they made to Britain during its recovery from the Second World War and have continued to make ever since. It’s also an opportunity to reflect on the difficulties faced by the Windrush Generation, who often faced racism and intolerance due to the colour of their skin.
It also remembers that in April 2018, the Windrush Scandal broke when it was discovered that, despite living and working in the UK for decades, many of the Windrush Generation had been told by the Government that they were in the country illegally due to a lack of official paperwork.
You can find out more about the history of Windrush Day on https://combatstress.org.uk/blog/history-of-windrush-day. Many Caribbean communities in the UK hold Windrush Day events to celebrate and spread awareness, search online for local celebrations.
Public Service Day, 23rd June
The UN’s Public Service Day:
- Celebrates the value of public service to the community
- Highlights the contribution of public service in development
- Recognises the work of public servants
- Encourages young people to pursue careers in the public sector
To recognise the value of public service, the UN also established an annual competition, the UN Public Service Awards, in 2023, which promotes the role, professionalism and visibility of public service.
Find more information at https://www.un.org/en/observances/public-service-day.
World Wellbeing Week, 24th to 30th June
World Wellbeing Week is focused on improving mental and physical health and wellbeing in the workplace and wider society. It encourages organisations, teams, and individuals to pause, reflect, and take meaningful steps towards better wellbeing.
It’s a time for practical action:
- Helping organisations recognise the wellbeing challenges people face at work
- Encouraging small, realistic habits that support everyday wellbeing
- Making it easier to have open conversations about mental and physical health
- Turning good intentions into visible, meaningful action
World Wellbeing Week matters most when it leads to meaningful change that helps people feel healthier, more supported, and more engaged at work.
Find out how you and your organisation can take part at https://worldwellbeingweek.com.
International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, 26th June
The International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking is a UN initiative to highlight the determination to strengthen action and cooperation to achieve the goal of an international society free of drug abuse.
It is supported by individuals, communities and organisations all over the world, to raise awareness of the major problem that illicit drugs represent to society.
This year's campaign ‘Break the cycle. #StopOrganizedCrime’ highlights the need to break the cycle of organised crime and drug trafficking by addressing root causes, investing in prevention and building stronger health, education and social systems.
You can help to spread awareness using the hashtags #WorldDrugDay #InvestInPrevention and #StopOrganizedCrime, and find more information at https://www.un.org/en/observances/end-drug-abuse-day.
Armed Forces Day, 27th June
Armed Forces Day is a chance to show your support for the men and women who make up the Armed Forces community, including serving personnel, their families, veterans and cadets.
It is the culmination of a week of celebrations, beginning on Monday 22 June, when the public can show their support and appreciation, including Reserves Day (24 June), which provides the country with an opportunity to recognise our Reserve Forces.
There are many ways you can get involved as an individual, community or organisation, and you can find lots of information and resources, and an interactive map to find your local events on the Armed Forces Day website: https://www.armedforcesday.org.uk/about/.