CSV Make a Difference Day is the UK's biggest day of ‘hands-on’ volunteering, the only campaign that asks people to give time, not money.

It’s your opportunity to make friends, try out new things and share skills but above all to make a difference to your local community.

CSV Make a Difference Day takes place on the last Saturday in October each year.

This year it falls on 25 October 2008 but activities can take place one week either side. This means that you can organise or go a long to an activity in your area any time from 18 October - 1 November.

From April onwards you will be able to register your interest in the campaign online, and we will send you regular email updates, including registration information. You can register an MD Day activity from 1 July onwards.

For more information or to be put on our mailing list, please email difference@csv.org.uk.

It’s up to you!

Simply take a look around your community, and think about what you can do and who you can help. Get together with your friends, colleagues or team mates and set to work or go along to an event organised in your local area.

If you don't have the time to set up your own activity, you can always join in with one in your local area. From July onwards we will be registering projects, and you can find one locally by visiting our Activity Locator and putting in your postcode.

The feedback from activity organisers and volunteers that took part in CSV Make a Difference Day 2007 has been extremely positive. Activities were fun for participants and a real and welcome contribution was made by all.

Activities included sprucing up a historic castle, turning wasteland into a recycling centre and wildlife garden, and many more actvities for young and old alike.

This year we want even more volunteers to get involved. Will you be one of them?

For more inspiration visit our campaign pages.

From July 2008 our Activity Locator will be online to enable you to find activities wherever you are.

All you need to know is your postcode, and you will then be able to access information on local MD Day activities, what you need to bring, and who you need to contact.

Visit our activity pages to view the activities that took place in your area in 2007.

Please note: These are not 2008 activities, and the Locator will be updated from July onward.

Register here or call Freephone 0800 284 533.

After registering you will receive an Action pack  through the post. Our Action packs contain advice and materials to organise, promote and get support for your activity.

The welcome letter will contain your password which will give you access to the CSV Make a Difference Day Activity Organisers page. You can download materials (blank branded posters, thank you certificates etc) and share ideas and tips using the upcoming Online forum .

 Don’t delay register now.

CSV Make a Difference day is a great way to promote and recruit new volunteers for your organisation.

In 2004, 80% of groups who took part in MD Day to attract new volunteers were successful, while 74% who contacted local media were featured on their local TV, radio or in newspapers.

Click here for more information on the benefits of getting involved or email Mukta Das, Voluntary Sector Marketing Co-ordinator on mdas@csv.org.uk.  

CSV Make a Difference Day is all about giving you a commitment free taste of volunteering. Many discover a real passion for giving time and decide to volunteer on a part time, full time or temporary basis - but it's totally up to you.

If you prefer one off, hands on volunteering and are London-based, CSV's GO London project organises easy, commitment-free volunteer events through out the year on a Saturday or Sunday.

If you would like to explore other volunteering opportunities following your experience with CSV MD Day, visit CSV's Volunteering pages or browse the searchable database online at www.do-it.org.uk.

If you are organising a CSV Make a Difference Day activity, we can help you find volunteers by:

*  publicising your activity on our Find an Activity locator, which potential volunteers will browse

*  our Press team can advise you on how best to promote your activity in order to get the most coverage in your local area.

*  you will also receive an Activity Organisers guide in your Action Pack which will advise you on how to set up your activity and recruit volunteers and celebrity/VIP support.

However, if you are looking for volunteers generally for your organisation, there are various CSV projects which will be able to bring volunteers to you. 

Some are on a one-off basis where a group will come in for just a day or so and do some hands-on work like painting a mural, building a footpath or decorating a room.

For this type of volunteering you will usually need to have the supplies to do the work as well as being able to give volunteers all relevant safety advice and instruction for their tasks; we provide the volunteers. They come in groups from 10 to 100!

Fill in the online form to register your interest or phone on 020 7643 1420, or email difference@csv.org.uk.

For regular volunteers there are also options - full-time, once a week (e.g. reading in school lunchtimes or literacy hour) or sporadic.

Contact us by email at difference@csv.org.uk and state clearly how you'd like to use volunteers in your organisation as well as some information about what your organisation does and where you are based. It usually takes longer to place these kinds of volunteers.