At ChangeX we’re talking to people every day who love their communities and are passionate about making a difference in areas like education, the environment, health and more. They are the ones who inspire us to do a better job in empowering more changemakers to have an impact. Whether you’re already involved in your community or are thinking about starting to do something in 2016, we hope they inspire you as well…

I’ve never once come home after a night of volunteering and felt “Gosh, that was a waste of my time”. In fact it’s always the exact opposite, I feel so satisfied that I’ve helped to make a positive difference and I’m always humbled to be reminded how privileged my life is and not to take food or anything else for granted. – Mary McGrane , volunteers with Foodcloud Dublin

It’s absolutely beautiful where I live here in Mulranny. We have to take care of this place and teach our children to do the same, show them to love the area and give them good examples of how to do it. It’s like a snowball, you start with one idea and more and more keep popping up. You just need to come down to the grass! – Carol Loftus, started The Green Plan in Mulranny

I believe that in order to be a fully rounded person it’s important to connect with the community. It’s part of the good life to engage with other people. That idea is very important to all of us. I feel, if more people are willing to give some of their time we can make our towns and cities much nicer places to be in; where we feel connected and create real networks amongst people. We live in a society where we see ourselves more as consumer units than as members of a community or society. We want to change that with Commonground. – Jay Roche, part of the community group Common Grounds Bray

These people are coming from conflict and uncertainty, they’ve seen family members being killed and lost their homes. All they’re looking for is safety while coming to a place they don’t know anything about. They don’t know if they’re welcome. We need to build that safety and trust for them and you only do that by getting involved, meeting people and by building relationships. – Maraied Horkan, runs a Fàilte Isteach class in Castlebar

The Coderdojo has given me, and I hope others in our Dojo, a better outlook towards our community, not just within CoderDojo but in the wider community too. It’s great to have everyone come together on a voluntary basis. It’s a simple thing, but doing something for no other reason than ‘it’s a good thing to do’ really simplifies things and makes the objective easier to reach. That’s what drives us and makes us want to do better.– Carol Faughnan, runs a CoderDojo in Wexford

I come from the country originally, and have very fond memories of the community I lived in while growing up. By creating the Street Feast we realised just how important it is to create the same sense of community for our children. When children grow up understanding their community and the people they share it with, they naturally learn to respect it more. – Audrey Smith, started a Street Feast in Drogheda

When you start daydreaming on a project like this, the sky is the limit. You have to think differently. I’m at a certain age now where you also think about what you want to leave behind in this world, a legacy perhaps. I like looking at a problem, turning it on its head and finding a solution. The greatest kick of all is sitting back a few months later and saying: We’ve done this!” and with all of this we also achieve our main objective the prevention of social isolation and its associated problems. – Ray Harte, founder of the Men’s Shed Portlaoise

I’m starting 121digital in Castlebar because I get a direct opportunity to make a difference in someone’s life. It might be something as simple (to those familiar with technology!) as showing how to send an email, but not knowing how to do these things is what prevents others from making the most of today’s technology. I think 121digital will give me a great opportunity to get involved with my community and put my talents to good use. – Tom McCarthy, started 121digital in Castlebar in 2015 and mentors with CoderDojo

Would you like to make a difference this year and give back to your community? Join our New Year’s Pledge and together we’ll make it happen.

Let us know in the comments below who inspired you in 2015 to do something that has an impact.