CSV Make a Difference Day, which is supported by Barclays Community Investment Programme, is the UK's largest day of direct volunteering and takes place on Saturday 29th October 2005. Nearly 100,000 people are expected to take part in more than 5,000 volunteering activities a third of which benefit black minority ethnic communities, including holding inclusive football matches between children from different communities.

"Football is a great way to engage people from different backgrounds," says Mukta Das, CSV Make a Difference Day's Diversity Officer. "It gives people a chance to integrate, learn from each other and have lots of fun."

Leon Mann from Kick It Out, football's anti-racism campaign says, "CSV Make a Difference Day coincides with the Kick It Out National Anti- Racism Week of Action this year. This presents a great opportunity for people who enjoy the game to use football as an educational tool to counter racism and promote citizenship."

Last year, the three Essex-based Nacro community sport projects in Braintree, Chelmsford and Epping ran the day at the Melbourne Park athletics centre in Chelmsford. Young people from the three projects took part in activities like six-a-side football, music workshops and quizzes.

Nick Emery, Project Officer at Nacro says, "It is important for youth to gain an understanding of racism in sport. The day provided an eye opening experience and also gave the people involved a chance to meet new people and improve their sports skills."

For more information about CSV Make a Difference Day go to www.csv.org.uk/difference or call FREEPHONE 0800 284 533. You can register online or over the phone.

ENDS

Further press information: CSV Make a Difference Day Press Office on 020 7812 0035/020 7812 0039. Alternatively email efreeman@csv.org.uk or oware@csv.org.uk. Out of office hours call 07981 591150

Latest press releases: www.csv.org.uk/press

Notes for editors

1. CSV Make a Difference Day takes place on Saturday 29 October 2005, and activities take part a week either side. Nearly 100,000 people are expected to give time rather than money to improve their local community. The campaign is organised by CSV (Community Service Volunteers) and supported by Barclays community investment programme and the Home Office Active Communities Directorate.

2. Kick It Out Campaign takes place between 13th- 25th October and aims to bring communities together to celebrate the contribution ethnic minorities have made to the football, whilst challenging racism. For more info : www.kickitout.org

3. Nacro is an independent voluntary organisation working to prevent crime. www.nacro.org.uk

4. CSV (Community Service Volunteers) is the UK's leading volunteering and training organisation and creates opportunities for people to play an active part in the life of their community through volunteering, training and community action. Each year 164,000 people give 4.1 million hours of their time as volunteers through CSV.

5. Year of the Volunteer 2005 is owned by volunteers, led by a partnership between Community Service Volunteers (CSV) and the Volunteering England Consortium, and supported by the Home Office. To find out more about events and activities during the Year of the Volunteer 2005, please visit the official website at www.yearofthevolunteer.org

6. Barclays PLC actively encourages employee involvement through its Employee Volunteering grant giving, Volunteer 2day time giving and £ for £ match-funding schemes, as well as encouraging the wider public to do the same through supporting flagship projects such as CSV Make a Difference Day and Barclays Spaces for Sports.

7. "We actively encourage our employees to give their time and effort to local charities, urban regeneration, fundraising and all forms of volunteering. We are proud of their efforts and not a little humbled by them." Matt Barrett, Group Chairman.

8. Over 20,000 Barclays employees from around the world took part in community activities in 2004. Nearly 14,000 Barclays employees took part in Make a Difference Day activities alone, including staff in Africa and Spain. Volunteering projects ranged from mentoring, clearing beaches to gardening, painting and decorating.

9. Barclays takes its social and environmental responsibilities seriously, supporting social and financial inclusion both nationally and at grass roots level to make a real and lasting difference to the community. In 2004 the bank continued to be one of the UK's top corporate contributors, making a global commitment of £31.9m and one in three Barclays employees volunteered for their local communities.

10. For further information see social responsibility at http://www.barclays.com. Media enquiries contact: Sarah Davis, Sponsorship PR Manager, Barclays PLC on 020 7116 6095.