A charity director says Mitzvah Day is a great opportunity for people to connect with the local community.

This year the Times & Independent Series is working with Mitzvah Day organisers to encourage readers to take part in meaningful and enjoyable challenges.

Staff from the Times and Independent will be taking part in community activities on November 15, but readers are also invited to take part.

Neil Taylor, director of community services for Jewish Care, has shared his views on the importance of the day of volunteering.

He said: “With the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch we really are the ‘I’ generation. I heard that The Oxford English Dictionary has measured that the use of the word ‘selfie’ in the English language increased by 17,000 per cent in the last year. Hours are spent on social media while juggling busy lives. This doesn’t leave much room to stop and look around and think about others.

“Mitzvah Day 365, taking place on November 14 to 16, offers us a great opportunity to look beyond ourselves and connect back with our local community. A chance to stop and think about those neighbours or friends around us who could do with a little bit more help to make their day a bit brighter.

“According to Carers UK, one in eight of us are carers and there are hundreds more young carers supporting parents or siblings that are hidden from that statistic. The number of carers is growing every day and Jewish Care are seeing more people living beyond 90. There is support available for carers from organisations like ours, but we know that it has its limits.

“Carer’s lives centre around the exact opposite of ‘I’ culture. They devote most of their time and energy caring for their loved ones so that there is little space or time outside their role of caring. Many carers struggle on with the stress of caring without asking for help and feel isolated and on their own. That’s why a little bit of help from a friend or neighbour can make a huge difference.

“Mitzvah Day 365 is a day of social action and good deeds when we can start to show that ‘I care’ too. Every bit of support helps when you are caring – the small things that other people do help to make the role of being a carer a bit more manageable.

“It doesn’t take huge amounts of time to make a real difference, just doing one thing to allow a carer to take a break from caring can make the day so much brighter. Offering to visit or have a cup of tea with an older person so that their carer can have some time to themselves. Lending a hand with the shopping, going out for a coffee and just listening to a carer talk can help to lighten the load so that they know that they are not on their own and that there are others who care about them too.”

Those interested in a chance to win a team to volunteers for a good cause this Mitzvah Day can find out more by clicking here.