Chocoholics are being challenged to tackle loneliness and isolation by making a Chocolate Fridge Cake by up-and-coming young Chef, Sam Stern, as part of the UK’s biggest single day of volunteering, CSV Make a Difference Day on Saturday 29 October.

Research shows that most British residents wouldn’t recognise their next door neighbour if they passed them on the street and 70% don’t know their names. A third of people live on their own and one million people who are over 65 are lonely and cut off from their community. Take the home-made Chocolate Fridge Cake to your next door neighbour, homeless shelter, local hospital or nursing home. Why not organise a street party, bring along the home-made cake and get to know all your neighbours at once.

Make a Difference Day, part of the UK volunteering charity CSV, is giving away an inspirational how-to guide to make your perfect Chocolate Fridge Cake with a special recipe from Sam Stern. The How-to guide also offers other ideas on how to use your FREE fairtrade Divine Chocolate bar. You can make and donate a chocolate pizza, chocolate fruit kebabs or what about giving someone a chocolate facial mask?

21-year old Chef, Sam Stern from Yorkshire who already has five best-selling cookery books, says: “Everyone can get a bit lonely sometimes, and I think Make a Difference Day is a brilliant chance to help people feel less isolated. Food can be a great way to bring people together – from helping out at a homeless shelter to baking cakes to give to isolated neighbours or another needy cause.

“Why not try making my super easy chocolate fridge cake, and donate it to someone who might be lonely? It’s easy to make, and a great way to use up your free Divine chocolate bar!”

Each year tens of thousands of people take part in the campaign to benefit the community. The nation plants thousands of flowers in community gardens, cemeteries and school playgrounds; helps out in local charity shops; knits hats and gloves for premature babies and visits lonely people in nursing homes, homeless shelters and hospitals – to give a few examples.

Other free How-to Guides include:

•    ‘How-to knit an animal blanket’ (because homeless pets are lonely too!)
•    ‘How-to volunteer to end loneliness’
•    ‘How-to write a difference’ for very sick children in hospitals
•    ‘How-to get online’ for people who have never used the internet
•    ‘How-to combat community isolation’

CSV Make a Difference Day is on Saturday 29 October 2011, with activities taking place a week either side. Project Organisers can register their event on the CSV Make a Difference Day website to encourage more people to attend and claim their free Action Pack, which includes certificates, stickers, t-shirts, how-to guides, and a Handbook which contains advice, case studies, hints and tips to help plan and carry out an activity.

To register your event visit or find out more information visit www.csv.org.uk/difference  or call FREEPHONE 0800 284 533 or email difference@csv.org.uk

For further press information: Francesca Toma on 020 7812 0037/ 07966 168686 or Jason Tanner on 020 7812 0038 / 07941 433598

Notes for Editors

CSV Make a Difference Day takes place on Saturday 29 October 2011 and activities take part a week either side. More than three quarters of a million people have taken part since the launch of CSV Make a Difference Day in 1996, and thousands more are expected to give time rather than money to improve their local community this year. The campaign is organised by CSV (Community Service Volunteers).

CSV creates opportunities for people to take an active part in the life of their communities through volunteering, training and community action.

Help us in the quest to celebrate young achievers. Ambition AXA Awards are targeted at 11-18 year olds and have been created to recognise outstanding young people involved in The Arts, Community, Enterprise, Science and Sport.  The winner in each category receives a bespoke mentoring prize worth up to £40,000 per category to progress their ambitions so that they can continue to make that all important difference. CSV is helping to judge. Please encourage young people you know to apply by visiting www.ambitionaxaawards.com or www.facebook.com/ambitionaxaawards