The New Year can feel like a fresh start, but some New Year’s Resolutions are hard to keep and can make us put unnecessary pressure on ourselves to change.

This year we have a better idea! Instead of making a resolution to change something about yourself why not resolve to change your world and help out in your community!

No matter how much time you have to give, we’ve come up with some ways you can make a change and make a difference.

I’ve got seconds to spare

If time is not on your side, you can still put your spare seconds to good use. Why not sign up to be a Trusted Voices Champion? This microvolunteering role involves sharing important Covid messages with friends, family and to help to protect your community. Sign up here.

You can also help charities and good causes by supporting awareness campaigns online – a post, like or share via social media can help them to amplify important messages. In January you could…

• Raise awareness of cervical screening, use social media to talk about why it is so important to get checked or share your tips to make it an easier test. More ideas for supporting Cervical Cancer Prevention Week (17-23 January).
• Mark Holocaust Memorial Day (27 January) by remembering the millions of people who were murdered and the survivors by reading their life stories. Share HMD Trust’s posts to enable more people to learn about the holocaust and more recent genocides. Find out more.

This awareness calendar from CIPR is a source of inspiration for the whole year!

Evidence shows that being kind improves your wellbeing – and it can take less than a minute to do it. Random acts of kindness can help to make the world a happier place, from making someone a cup of tea to saying good morning – these 50 acts of kindness from the Mental Health Foundation are a great starting point.

Make a difference in minutes

During the lockdowns many people looked out for their neighbours, especially those who live alone, and provided a helping hand. There are still plenty of opportunities to be a good neighbour - January can be a very cold, dark month and bad weather can have a big impact on older or more vulnerable people. Helping out can be as simple as checking in with a phone call or offering to collect a prescription or some shopping.

For advance notice of potential bad weather you can sign up to alerts from the Met Office and if you are in an area at risk of flooding sign up to flood alerts.

Reduce, reuse, recycle! Taking a minute to think before you make a purchase and considering how to dispose of goods can make a difference to the planet. Recycle for Greater Manchester have an A-Z guide to help you to recycle more and tips on how you can waste less, such as using reusable cups. Visit the website. Why not set some goals and use Global Recycling Day (18 March) and Recycle Awareness Week in September as milestones to check your progress.

Help to make your neighbourhood greener and air cleaner, try walking and cycling more or helping others to do the same. You could log your favourite walks via the GoJauntily app for others to discover, or seek out some new routes for your wanders from GM Walking. For further inspiration throughout the year check out Clean Air Day and Bike Week in June and Cycle to Work Day in September.

A few hours to help out

Giving just a few hours a week could make a big difference to NHS staff in Salford. Sign up to be an Emergency Department Volunteer, providing non-medical assistance to patients who arrive at A&E at Salford Royal Hospital. This gives important support to our frontline NHS staff colleagues, who are dealing with increased demand and staff shortages due to the Covid-19 pandemic.Find out more and sign up here.

Volunteer as part of Salford’s Covid vaccination response and help more people in Salford to get protected. Working alongside NHS staff, you can help by doing practical tasks such as wiping down chairs and managing queues as well as reassuring individuals while they wait for their jab. Volunteers usually commit to a half a day’s shift once a week - the role is flexible and sessions take place during the week and at weekends. Find out more and sign up here.

If you’d like to be part of a network addressing some of the issues and challenges related to the pandemic in Salford, join us as a Community Champion. These Champions are volunteers who work together to share ideas and create their own solutions to tackle some of the issues in our communities – with support from Salford CVS. See what our Champions achieved in 2021.

In response to the pandemic, many Mutual Aid Groups set up to support their communities. The informal help provided by these groups can range from litter picks to hot meal deliveries. Find your local group here.

I’m looking for a longer term commitment

Lots of charities and community groups in Salford are looking for people who can commit to giving them some long term support. This allows them to plan and use their resources effectively.

Browse local volunteer opportunities on our website (you’ll need to sign up to find out more about a role) there are lots of opportunities from Trustee roles to social media volunteers and animal foster carers. If you’re not sure where to start you can get in touch with our friendly Volunteer Centre team who will be able chat through your options in 1-2-1 session and support you to start volunteering.

Tell us all about it

We’d love to hear how you are going to change your world in 2022, share with us using #ChangeYourWorld @SalfordCVS.