They are cooking chicken soup for the homeless; making tea for the elderly; visiting care home residents; tidying woodland areas and sprucing up charity premises.

Some 40,000 people worldwide are engaging in Mitzvah Day activities this weekend, 25,000 in the UK. Activities are being held across the country, from the largest London communities to some outposts of Jewish life. Interfaith activities are to the fore, reflecting the bridge-building nature of the event, which is celebrating its tenth anniversary.

Mitzvah Day volunteers will also be supporting today's Ajex parade. Schools and offices held their own projects before the weekend. The Chief Rabbi is visiting Mitzvah Day events in London.

Founder and chair Laura Marks said: “Mitzvah Day is both a lot of fun and a celebration of our interfaith social action. We also shouldn’t forget that an important part of it is to fulfil the real need to engage in the fabric of civil society.

“In a society that is feeling very fragile and fragmented, it’s important to show we really can do something about it."