Gaby Roslin: 'Small acts of volunteering can make an extraordinary difference'
During National Volunteers' Week, the BBC presenter leads a day on local radio celebrating people doing good in their community.
Holly Wren
- Gaby Roslin
Published: Friday, 5 June 2026 at 6:00 am
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There’s something very special about the moments when we come together to celebrate the best of who we are. The kindness, the generosity, the positivity, the quiet determination to help others, those things that so often go unnoticed, but make all the difference.
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That’s why BBC Local Radio’s first Make a Difference Day, taking place on Friday 5 June during National Volunteers’ Week, feels so important. It’s a chance to pause and properly recognise the people who give their time, energy and compassion to others, not for recognition, but because they care.
Every Sunday on the Make a Difference programme, I have the privilege of hearing from those people. They’re the ones supporting neighbours, running local groups, lifting spirits, and building connections. They don’t seek the spotlight, but when you hear their stories, you quickly realise just how much brighter our communities are because of them and their positive attitudes.
People like Chris from Dorset, who is walking the entire South Coast Path, an incredible 630 miles, completely on his own to raise funds and awareness for the National Brain Appeal. And Marco from Gloucestershire, who created PEAK Parenting to empower autistic children and support their parents after his own son was diagnosed with autism.
What began as a personal mission has grown into large-scale events attended by thousands, building community, understanding and support for families.
Morning Live will be partnering with BBC Local Radio for Make a Difference Day. BBC
In many ways, Make a Difference Day has grown naturally from something we’ve been celebrating for years, the BBC Local Make a Difference Awards. Those events are always some of the most uplifting in the calendar, recognising people who go above and beyond in their communities.
They remind us just how much extraordinary work is happening, often quietly and without fuss. This new day builds on that spirit, taking it out beyond the ceremony and into communities right across the country.
Make a Difference Day is about shining that spotlight even more brightly. Across the UK, BBC Local Radio teams will be out in their communities, getting involved, from helping local projects to supporting charities and simply spending time with people who need it.
It’s about celebrating, but also about joining in. That’s the real spirit of it – not just recognising kindness but encouraging more of it. Because what becomes clear, time and time again, is that these acts of volunteering don’t just help others; they bring people together.
They create connection where there might otherwise be isolation and loneliness. They give people purpose, and they strengthen the communities we all rely on.
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A day like this doesn’t pretend to solve everything. Instead, it offers something just as valuable: a moment of focus on positivity. A reminder of what’s already happening all around us, and an invitation to be part of it.
It really doesn’t take much. The people we speak to every week aren’t superheroes, though they might seem like it. They’re ordinary individuals who decided to do one small thing, and then another, and then kept going. That’s how change happens. Not all at once, but step by step.
So yes, Make a Difference Day is a positive celebration. It’s a chance to tell stories, to say thank you, and to feel inspired. But it’s also a gentle nudge, a reminder that making a difference is something all of us can do, in our own way.
Whether it’s giving a little time, checking in on someone, or getting involved in a local project, it all matters. And often, it matters more than we realise. Because when you step back and look at it, those small acts, repeated across towns, cities and villages, add up to something extraordinary. And that’s something well worth celebrating.
Visit the official websites of Make a Difference Day and Volunteers' Week for more information and to find out ways to get involved.
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Authors
Gaby Roslin
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