I made a difference
Wednesday 4 October 2006
CSV Make a Difference Day 2006 was a great success and gave people the chance to do something which made a difference and helped others in their community.
Here’s one story of someone who made a difference last year.
Confidence at rock bottom
When 18-year-old Jamie Perez from Cheshunt was bullied at school, his confidence hit rock bottom and he became afraid to even leave the house. Then he began volunteering and turned his life around.
He explains: “When I went to secondary school I got bullied really badly just because I am deaf in one ear. I used to get ‘stabbed’ with pens and kicked and punched. I came home every day with bruises; it was a really difficult time.
I lost all my confidence and didn’t want to go out or even speak to people."
Helping others
“Then I heard about Make a Difference Day and I got into volunteering.
The first year I took part in a bulb-planting project at Cedars Park, Cheshunt and met a couple of people who had been victims of bullying themselves. I told them about my experiences and was able to help them."
Getting happy
“I started getting involved in a couple of ongoing volunteering projects and began to build up my confidence again. I stopped being scared of talking to people and started making friends.
For the first time in years I was really happy and felt I was really living life. Volunteering really did change my life.”
Over to you
Why not get together with your friends or family and take part in CSV Make a Difference Day? Registering is easy and there's even free How-To kits with simple ideas for taking part.
This year CSV have linked up with gold medal winning Olympic athlete Kelly Holmes for the How To Host Your Own Mini-Games Guide. The guide contains information, hints and tips on how you can set up your very own Mini-Games and bring your community, school or group of friends together. It also contains a free whistle so get yours now while stocks last!
Find out more
To find out more about the campaign and the free How-To Guides, take a look at the CSV Make a Difference web site.
