Meeting Plans

‘If you think you're too small to make a difference, you've obviously never been in bed with a mosquito' Anita Roddick.

Volunteering has a rather worthy feel to it. It conjures up images of older women helping out in charity shops or shaking collecting tins in shoppers' faces. And yet it doesn't have to be that way.

Every year CSV, the UK's largest volunteering and training agency, runs Make a Difference Day to give people a taste of volunteering, to show it can be enjoyable, fun and worthwhile. This year, get your group involved with Make a Difference Day and you'll discover that it will make a real difference to them as well as to the projects that they get involved in. It can also benefit your group, showing the local community that you are active and willing to be involved. In 2005, it takes place on 29 October and you can find out more on the CSV website www.csv.org.uk/difference

Serving others is an integral part of the Christian faith. Just before Jesus died, he humbled himself and washed his disciples' feet, saying to them, ‘Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.' Not many of us need our feet washing these days, but there are lots of practical ways we can look out for one another's needs and help to fulfil them. It feels natural for Christians to get involved in something like Make a Difference Day and it can be a great way to build links with people that otherwise you might not have much contact with.

Young people are often asked to raise money; this project asks them to give their time which can be just as precious a commodity. Young people have all kinds of demands on them – from school, family, clubs, friends – and lots of them may feel that they just can't fit anything else in. But volunteering doesn't have to be done on top of everything else. If you do it as part of a group then it can take the place of your group activities and social time, and be just as enjoyable. Some schools may make space for pupils to be involved in projects like Make a Difference Day as part of their citizenship activities. So none of us can say we are just too busy – we all have to make choices about the way that we use our time.

Last year over 90,000 people used the day to change their community for the better taking part in activities ranging from litter picks and gardening to creating murals, helping the elderly and working with a local charity. CSV have materials and advice to help you organise the day and help you kick-start your project. 

Volunteering in this way can have many positive benefits for your group, as well as your community. Working together is a fantastic way of developing a group identity and can raise the profile of your group in the locality. You may also find that you develop links with other organisations in your area. Many groups who have taken part in volunteering have found that their involvement has profited both their community and their group.  

If you haven't read the article about this in LINK magazine or on the Energize website please do so and consider getting your group involved. Click here for the article.

If you are able to organise a practical project for your group to get involved with, then this meeting plan and the meeting plan on Service (go to www.energize.uk.net/service) should provide a useful background for the young people.

There are a few things to consider when you're deciding as a group how to volunteer.

• Make sure everyone can volunteer safely. It's best to do things in groups, or at least pairs, rather than as individuals. If you get involved in practical work such as painting or DIY, make sure that everyone has the right equipment and no one is taking any risks.
• Check out the CSV website for opportunities that have been registered with them. If there are none near you, contact CSV to find out why and see what they suggest you do.
• Volunteering is an act of service but it's reasonable to expect it to be a rewarding one in terms of feeling that you have made a contribution – even if it's hard work and not necessarily enjoyable! Ask questions about what your group will be expected to do, who it will benefit and how, and what your group can expect to get out of it.

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