What is Make A Difference Day?

You might have already seen surveys on the site from Make a Difference Day (MADD). Here volunteers tell us about the day and one of the access surveys carried out in Bath.

What is Make a Difference Day?

‘Make a Difference Day (MADD) is a nationwide volunteering event organised on an annual basis by Community Service Volunteers (CSV).  Leonard Cheshire Disability has been participating in this event for many years, and since 2004 we have incorporated access audits.  Each year groups of service users, volunteers and staff from Leonard Cheshire Disability have surveyed a wide range of public facilities including shops, banks, restaurants, pubs and leisure centres.  Since the pilot of the LCD Action for Access campaign back in 2009 we have been using these surveys and uploading them to the Action for Access website: the results of our surveys are now disseminated to much wider audience, which is a great outcome!'

Katie Nunneley, Volunteer Enabling Officer

Access survey in Bath, 2010

Greenhill House residents took part in the annual Make a Difference Day, which is the UK's largest day of volunteering.

Five residents decided to carry our Action for Access surveys of the new Debenhams store restaurant in the Southgate shopping centre, Bath

As Disabled Blue Badge parking restricts vehicle parking to a maximum of 3 hours and the Debenhams store car park is not accessible for our minibus vehicles because of height restrictions, we were extremely grateful to Bath Cricket Club for their generous hospitality in allowing us to park in their clubhouse facility for the day.

When we got to Debenhams we found the restaurant staff to be very helpful and willing to provide assistance. The access was good although difficult to move around the spaces between the tables(follow this link to see the survey results).

The day was very successful. Residents enjoyed the extra time that was allowed them by the unrestricted parking offered by Bath Cricket Club.

If you want to find out more about Make a Difference Day visit www.csv.org.uk/difference

If volunteering appeals to you and you'd like to volunteer at Greenhill House contact Ann Chinca Volunteer Coordinator Tel; 01761 479902/479915

Or email