Every day, there is always someone striving to make a difference in their community for the good of the people, the environment or for some cause that they whole heartedly believe in. These people are often considered to be mavericks, and some may even ruffle a few feathers on the way but the fact they are fighting for a cause they are totally invested in.

Society is made up of people who are different in gender, ethnicity, religion, age, background, finances, education, cultural experiences and many other things which make up their individual personalities. Some people who perhaps haven’t been fortunate enough to stay on the straight and narrow and have ended up in prison are now being given second chances by influential people such as Richard Branson.

For the past 2 years, Branson has been endorsing the employment of ex-offenders and creating new job opportunities through his Virgin Group to generate better chances and a more constructive rehabilitation process which can lead toward better progress in society.

Every week there is some kind of scandal uncovered about corrupt individuals, and many people immediately jump to the conclusion that they must be “bad” people.

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Nobody’s perfect; and in 2009 Elliott Broidy [http://www.prnewschannel.com/2012/11/28/l-a-venture-capitalist-elliott-broidy-commended-by-n-y-judge-for-cooperating-with-authorities/] pleaded guilty in a scandal involving the state pension fund and around $1 million worth of gifts for state Controllers. A famous case across New York and indeed other parts of the US, the most controversial part of the whole case was the fact that Broidy “got away with” avoiding jail time.

After a long and drawn out case however, in which Broidy must have had a very challenging time, his regret for what happened, his repayment to the state pension fund and other donations from his company Broidy Capital Management have made and will continue to make a great difference to society.

Celebrities can have a huge impact on the way that we view society, and although some public figures don’t show themselves in the best light, others are to be admired for their dedication to worthy causes and their generous donations. Like Broidy, Simon Cowell is hated across the world for a number of unjustified reasons and yet the man has overcome bankruptcy twice and today donates to a large number of causes and charities. It just goes to show even the people in society with a tough exterior can have a good heart!

The Global Poverty Project is just one of the many famous poverty projects in place that aims to end extreme poverty in the most deprived countries in the world, and although it has many famous partners such as Think Global, Salvation Army and Christian Aid, it is the support of the everyday people that keeps it going and continues to make it successful.

Overall, we need to remember that no matter how influential you are, or how much wrong you have done in the past, it is your sense of righteousness that will help you truly make a difference in society.