Go on, do it ... Make a difference and 'Look after London'

Do you worry about the environment? Would you like to give something back? Or perhaps you simply want to make London an even better place to live?

Well, don't put it on your "To Do" list – Do It.

Small things can make a big difference. And they're often things that any of us can do - like recycling rubbish, turning off lights and re-using plastic bags.

However, it's hard to make a big impression if you're doing good on your own. But if more and more people start to care about the same thing, they can make a big impact.

This is something the growing army of volunteers in London has woken up to. By getting together to give their time, skills, energy or enthusiasm, they are helping to transform the environment in parts of London- real people, making a real difference.

Places like the banks of the River Thames. It would be hard to keep them rubbish free by yourself. But thanks to the 40 or 50 volunteers who regularly turn up for the charity Thames21, more than 1,000 tonnes of junk is cleared away from London's waterways every year.

Then there's the team of 16 and 17 year-olds who decided to take action at their school and developed a new green space for younger pupils with the help of the charity Envision. Meanwhile the dedicated volunteers at Trees for Cities are planting trees on housing estates – helping to transform them into nicer places to live.

These are just a few of the thousands of deserving causes that need help from people like you.

But where do you start? How can you help? And who can find you an organisation that needs what you've got to offer?

The answers are here on the Look after London channel www.standard.co.uk/lookafterlondon.

And thanks to Honda, which has partnered with the volunteering website www.do-it-org.uk to match volunteers with local environmental projects, it couldn't be easier to get involved."

Type in the sort of cause you would like to support, the skills you have and the times when you can help, and see how you could Look after London – even if you can only spare a few hours, you can make a difference.

It could be joining a fundraising event, transforming a grim wasteland or helping to recycle unwanted furniture to keep it out of landfill.

Giving something back is often a "win win" situation - in return, most volunteers get an immense sense of satisfaction, the chance to do something different and an opportunity to meet new people.

Volunteering to help the environment can also be a chance to get outside and get fit – if you join in projects like the Green Gym you get a work out while you work.

You won't be alone. Some volunteering organisations have seen the number of enquiries double year-on-year – partly because of the recession, which sadly means more of us have more time on our hands.

Its Honda's philosophy that it's not what you say, but what you do that counts.

As the manufacturer of the affordable Hybrid, the newly launched Insight, Honda knows that while the big things – like creating a low-emission car – are important, real action by local communities can also make a real impact.

And its staff are also a team of "doers". Sixty Honda staff have recently helped with three projects - rejuvinating a nursery for people with learning disabilities, an allotment for people without gardens and cleaning the depths of the Slough Canal Basin - filling 40 refuse sacks.

As Honda's campaign says - "Let's go do, keep doing and do some more." So what are you waiting for? Log on and become a "doer" not a "to doer".

IF YOU WANT TO HELP LOOK AFTER LONDON FOLLOW US HERE OVER THE NEXT MONTH... www.standard.co.uk/lookafterlondon