Scotland’s volunteers to stage day of action to celebrate Make A Difference Day

Community Service Volunteers is holding activities for Make A Difference Day, in an attempt to share career skills, support small charities and improve the environment of their local communities.

Last year, more than 70,000 people across the UK took part in the action.

This year’s event includes the world’s largest glow in the dark midnight walk and magic show in Edinburgh, along with workshops at the Hidden Gardens in Glasgow and hedge planting in Dumfries.

Among the highlights is expected to be an attempt to break the Guinness World Record for the largest magical lesson taking place at Fettes College in Edinburgh, to raise money for the Royal Blind organisation.

Lucy de Groot, chief executive of CSV, said: “Make a Difference Day is the perfect time for those inspired to volunteer by 2012 Olympics with opportunities to do so, whether it’s designing a website for a local sports club, clearing out a nearby pond through to baking a cake or mowing a lawn for a disabled neighbour.

“In these tough times it is more important than ever for communities to come together and support one another through positive community action.”

In Dumfries, the local ranger service is joining forces with a group called Moffat Lets Live Local to provide training in hedge laying in Meikleholm.

In Glasgow, St Andrews First Aid will provide casualty simulation workshops for children aged between six and 15 in Glasgow.

Tomorrow, Glasgow’s Hidden Gardens, based in Pollokshields on the southside, will show local residents how to prune native shrubs for the autumn and winter seasons, how to garden to create more wildlife and workshops in how to compost correctly.

In Bothwell, residents will be planting daffodils and native bluebells in the Lanarkshire town’s public gardens.

The event is the 17th Make a Difference Day organised by CSV, and 900,000 people have taken part so far.