It's not a cult, it's a collective. It all started when Danny Wallace put an advert in the local paper asking people to join him.

Read our with Danny Wallace - the leader

Since that day Join Me has gained a following of thousands, with members all following the Good Friday Agreement to make the world a better place to live with random acts of kindness.

We caught up with several Nottinghamshire members of the collective to find out why they joined and what they've been up to.

The Karma Army - Nottinghamshire
Damian	Michelle	Briony	Ian

Why did you join Join Me?
I guess it was having an excuse to do nice and slightly wacky things on a weekly basis that made me join! Joinee Briony

I’d always believed that you should help people out whenever you can – with no hope of compensation or redress etc and this seemed a lovely, fun and kooky way of doing that. Joinee Michelle

I joined after I read the Join Me book which I was given for my birthday. After I had finished the book I decided that it was something that I wanted to be a part of (everyone can use a bit of good karma). Joinee Ashley

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What random acts of kindness have you performed?
My favourite one is writing random nice comments in greetings cards ('Have a great weekend' etc.) and then handing them out to the first people I see. It's great to see the look on their faces! Giving out chocolate normally goes down well too, but the most random one was at the recent Nottingham Meet, during which we unleashed the fantastic 'Karma Navy' in the form of fab rubber ducks bearing the 'Join Me' name into the fountains of Market Square to brighten up the city of Nottingham and also for people to take home! It certainly made everyone smile and when we returned they had all been taken... hopefully to loving homes! Joinee Briony

Well, I am a bit of a wimp when it comes to this. I tend to do non-confrontational ones which I hope just cheer people up. I’ve given the lady in my local take-away a big bunch of flowers because she looked a bit glum one day. But that meant that she now gives me free pancake rolls which I think is missing the point as I feel a bit guilty about that. But then I could give them to a homeless person I suppose. And I’ve often helped people out with the odd 50p for their bus fare or change in the newsagent that people are very appreciative of and accept gracefully – hopefully they will do the same for someone else. I like doing things just to see people smile – it’s a wonderful thing being able to cheer people up and lets face it, on a Friday you’re normally worn down by the working week and fed up with it all so if someone can make you a little happier it’s a good thing all round! (Jeez, I sound like a happy clappy here…). I’m also making a load of Xmas cakes at the moment so I’ll probably give those away later or leave them for people to find. Joinee Michelle

Some of my personal favourites so far have been - paying for the bus fares of an old couple who were at the bus stop with me - buying one of those teddies with a name on the front and then trying to find someone with that name to give it to (I met a hell of a lot of people that day!) - and buying a helium balloon for a crying child thus cheering up the child and the parent. Joinee Ian

So far my random acts of kindness have been slightly limited. Normally every Friday I put my spare change into a vending machine so that the next person gets something for free. I've also ironed someone's jeans, mowed a lawn and helped a woman find her lost son (although it didn't take long I still think it counts). I know some joinees who send a £5 note to a random address every other week but I don't have enough money for that. Joinee Ashley

To start with my randon acts of kindness were quite small things such as letting people pull out of junctions whilst waiting in traffic, or making cups of tea for people at work. However, I have started to get a bit more adventurous as I have gone on - lottery tickets to Big Issue sellers and newspapers before they have been sold. I am planning on sorting out some Christmas presents for the QMC's children ward soon. Joinee Robert

I have not been a member that long, but have tried to do as much good as is possible. I bought gifts for a couple of my friends to start with, but my first proper random act though was buying flowers for an old lady. I bought a small bouquet, found the first old lady on the street I saw, outside the council house actually, explained I wanted to make someone happy and offered the flowers. She was so happy and appreciative it made everything worth while. Joinee John

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What sort of reaction do you get to these random acts?
Most people tend to be a little suspicious at first, for some reason today's society is wary and unwilling to accept that someone they don't know might be willing to do something nice for them with nothing in it for themselves. It's exactly this kind of attitude that the Karma Army is trying to suppress and teach people that kindness does still exist. Obviously we can't explain to people why we're doing what we do because that would mean we have a hidden motive and negate the selflessness of the deed, usually just insisting that you're doing it because it's Friday does the trick. Joinee Ian

It really does vary from one extreme to the other. Most, after looking initially confused and sometimes a little scared, manage a big smile and a thankyou and you get the feeling they really appreciated it. However, others are convinced you're trying to sell them something and actually run away! It's sad that it has come to the point that people think that random kindness isn't possible these days without some kind of catch. Joinee Briony

The reaction you get is generally very good although some people are a little wary of your help for example handing out sweets to children in the park is generally frowned upon. Also, approaching old men and offering them a cup of tea is very daunting and I have not yet had the courage to do so. My friends thought I was a little weird when I told them I had joined a collective but after some of them received a free drink after meeting a totally random joinee in a bar I think they have gotten the idea. Joinee Ashley

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Would you recommend your cult to everyone?
Yes. Let’s face it, if we get everyone doing one tiny act of kindness a week the world will be a better place! Joinee Michelle

Absolutely - how could anyone not recommend random kindness?! Joinee Briony

I recommend Join Me to all my friends perhaps too often. I have lent the book non-stop since I finished and have so far convinced three friends to join and I'm sure more will follow. Joinee Ashley

Of course! Anyone who says they don't want to join is basically saying they don't like being nice to other and that's just silly and means they never got the point of A Christmas Carol! If people are thinking they don't want to spend money every Friday on strangers that shouldn't stop them, some of the kindest things you can do involve no money at all. Every Friday on my way to university I see an old man raking the leaves off the cycle path so a couple of weeks ago I stopped and gave him a hand. Simple, effective and free! Joinee Ian

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The Karma Army have already met once in Nottinghamshire. It was on 18th October 2003. Joinee Damian tells us that they went around handing out chocolate and some 400 leaflets in Old Market Square.

We found when we arrived that the army was recruiting that day and decided it was an opportunity we couldn't waste. We hastily made signs saying "Join The Karma Army Instead" and held them up. The Army didn't seem to see the funny side. We also placed lots of rubber ducks in the fountains, which were gone with 30mins and taken home by some teenagers, so that made them very happy too. Joinee Damian

Their next meet in Nottinghamshire is being planned for the Spring. For further details on how to join or just to find out more go to www.join-me.co.uk.