Couch surfing is one example of a new exciting social movement that connects people around the world and costs nothing.

It’s 1am and there is a stranger asleep on my sofa, rucksack at his side, snoring gently.

Six hours earlier I’d been standing in Manchester bus station, scanning the crowd for a face I’d only seen in a few blurred photographs.

            Until now, Ashley Drew and I hadn’t even spoken on the phone. All I knew from our brief and infrequent emails is that he’s 28 and from Melbourne, he likes animals and snooker, and the location of my sofa is rather appealing.

            Ashley is a couch surfer, one of over a million members worldwide. The idea is simple: rather than jostling for expensive hotel rooms with other tourists, the couch surfing movement gives backpackers the opportunity to crash on sofas for free, with the added bonus of tasting real cultures and experiencing places other sightseers probably wouldn’t. As for the hosts, they receive the simple pleasure of helping somebody out.

How can I make a positive difference in the world? Where do I start? Which of the overwhelming number of urgent global issues should I focus my attention on first? These are questions most of us have asked ourselves at some point, but although being an active citizen can sometimes feel hopeless, remember: you can only be responsible for your own actions, and major changes start at the grassroots level- just look at the Occupy movement. Maybe you can’t save the world, but you can save your backyard. And imagine what would happen if we all did the same? With that in mind, here are 10 things you can do to get those green shoots growing in your own communities, expanding outwards like ripples in a pond to inspire others and make changes on a big scale. As anthropologist Margaret Mead once said: “Never doubt that a small, committed group of citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” The following list could be longer- things like recycling, buying fair trade and avoiding plastic wherever possible are taken as given, for example. Feel free to add your own suggestions in the comments section, and whatever you choose to do, have fun with it!