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Last year thousands of people all over the country got together and painted fences, planted bulbs, baked cakes and built nest boxes, to name just a few of the activities.

From October 2007 until February 2008, CSV and the Campaign To End Child Poverty is leading a drive called Dare to Care to help end child poverty.

We aim to encourage 35,000 people to volunteer their time to help children living in poverty.

This year we have decided to celebrate Make A Difference Day and Dare to Care, by holding a morning of new experiences for the children who attend the Dowles Road Community Centre in Kidderminster.

The children on the estate have very little to look forward to except kicking a ball against a wall after school so the community centre could become an integral part of their future. The station will have been working on a complete makeover of the centre during the preceding week, which CSV Action will be heavily involved in. This will benefit the whole community.

For Make A Difference Day, Sue and I felt that we could try and inspire the children to see things in a different perspective.

We want to help them gain a bit of confidence, that could then grow into something bigger and better.

If children are offered more choices, they are given the power and confidence to make better decisions for themselves.

To this end we have brought together lots of different cultures and experiences to tempt the children

We have a host of new things for them to try and get involved in, and we wanted them to be different from anything they may have experienced before.

Amongst other things we are bringing them:

• Bush Tucker Trials: We are working with the Countryside Service to give the children a taste of something new. They will have the opportunity to try things like lychees, asparagus, olives, ginger and many other tastes. This will challenge their taste buds and may surprise the children who would never normally have thought about their diet.
• Martial Arts: A chance for the children to gain confidence with some martial arts training. This can also lead to them getting fitter and achieving more self discipline. The trainer is from a local club and will encourage the children to go along to the club and to carry on the initiative.
• Healthy Eating: The children will have the chance to eat fresh fruit kebabs (with a chocolate fountain to tempt any children who say they don't like fruit!). This will introduce the children to the fact that fruit can be fun. The healthy eating team will show the children how to make up fruit bags to take to school for their break time snack.
• A Samba Drum Workshop: The children will have the chance to play big Brazilian drums and learn a drum pattern. They can also make a percussion instrument to take home with them. Children often use music as an outlet for their frustrations and we felt that being given permission to make lots of noise may release their tensions and allow them to access a different way to let their feelings out.
• Fitness Training: We have personal trainers from a local fitness centre coming along to show the children the benefits of a healthy exercise routine. They are bringing a cycling machine and will challenge the children to see how fit they are. We hope this will sow positive seeds about exercise and fitness.听
• Pool Exhibition and Coaching Workshop: A local pool club will help the children get to grips with a pool cue and show them how to focus on the game. This can also help with confidence and the satisfaction of being able to do something well.
• A Computer Workshop: The children will have the chance to make their own music with a computer workshop. Not only will the children see that computers can be used for things other than games, but it will allow them to access their creative side. The music program will be left on the computers so the children will be able to really get to grips with making their own music long term.
• Henna Tattoos: To give the children a chance to experience a different culture, a lady will be showing them how to do henna tattoos. The children will then be able to show younger children how to do them. There will be several different designs for them to have a go at, from simple ones to very elaborate designs. We will also have a leaflet all about why henna tattoos are so important to the Indian culture. This should lead to more cultural understanding and acceptance of others.
• A Bling Workshop: A chance for the children to make some 'designer' jewellery for themselves. Looking and feeling good boosts confidence and the children need a positive image for themselves. To make something small for themselves may inspire them to bigger things as the centre will offer sewing courses in the future.

The morning will have a high spirited fun factor and promises to be filled with children enjoying themselves.

Coupled with the new things the community centre will have to offer will hopefully draw the children off the streets and into a centre that can then work with them to improve their prospects and outlook on life.

The centre hopes to be able to encourage the older children to work with the younger ones to build a more positive future for them all.

We are looking for volunteers to help us make this day special for the children.

If you would like to get involved then give Sue and Jacci a ring on 0845 300 5006.