Embracing Your Role in the Community
In this chapter
Becoming a British citizen or settling in the UK brings both responsibilities and opportunities. As a citizen, you have the chance to actively participate in your community and contribute to its well-being. This section provides information on the responsibilities of being a citizen and offers guidance on how you can help make your community a better place to live and work.
Values and Responsibilities
Despite its diverse society, there are shared values and responsibilities in Britain that are universally accepted. These values and responsibilities include:
- Obeying and respecting the law
- Being aware of the rights of others and respecting those rights
- Treating others with fairness
- Behaving responsibly
- Helping and protecting your family
- Respecting and preserving the environment
- Treating everyone equally, regardless of sex, race, religion, age, disability, class, or sexual orientation
- Working to provide for yourself and your family
- Helping others
- Voting in local and national government elections
Being a good Neighbour
When you move into a new house or apartment, it's important to introduce yourself to your neighbors.
Building relationships with your neighbors helps you become part of the community and make friends.
They
can also provide assistance, such as looking after your pets when you're away or offering advice on
local services and shops.
Respecting your neighbors' privacy and keeping noise levels to a minimum can help prevent conflicts
and
problems. It's also important to maintain a tidy garden and only place your refuse bags and bins on
the
street or communal areas when it's time for collection.
Getting involved in Local Activities
Volunteering and actively participating in your community are essential aspects of being a responsible citizen. By engaging in local activities, you have the opportunity to connect with others and contribute to the betterment of your community. Supporting one another is key to creating a positive and thriving community, and it allows you to fulfill your civic duties and help those in need.
How you can Support your Community?
There are various ways in which you can actively support your community and demonstrate good citizenship.
Jury Service
Jury service is an important civic duty that individuals may be called upon to fulfill. Randomly
selected from the electoral register, individuals aged 18 to 70 (18 to 75 in England and Wales) have
the
opportunity to serve on a jury. Participating in jury service allows citizens to play a crucial role
in
the legal system by impartially considering evidence and reaching a verdict in criminal trials. It
is a
fundamental part of upholding justice and ensuring a fair trial for all individuals involved.
If you are summoned for jury service, it is important to respond promptly and attend the designated
court as directed. Your participation as a juror contributes to the functioning of the justice
system
and helps safeguard the principles of fairness and impartiality in the legal process.
Serving on a jury is an opportunity to make a direct impact on the administration of justice and
uphold
the values of a democratic society.
Helping in Schools
If you have children, there are many ways in which you can help at their schools. Parents can often
help
in classrooms, by supporting activities or listening to children read.
Many schools organise events to raise money for extra equipment or out-of-school activities.
Activities
might include book sales, toy sales, or bringing food to sell. You might have good ideas of your own
for
raising money. Sometimes events are organised by parent-teacher associations (PTAs). Volunteering to
help with their events or joining the association is a way of doing something good for the school
and
also making new friends in your local community. You can find out about these opportunities from
notices
in the school or notes your children bring home.
School Governors
School governors are people from the local community who wish to make a positive contribution to
children’s education. They must be aged 18 or over at the date of their election or appointment.
There
is no upper age limit.
Governors have an important part to play in raising school standards. They have three key roles:
- setting the strategic direction of the school
- ensuring accountability
- monitoring and evaluating school performance
In England, parents and other community groups can apply to open a free school in their local area. More information about this can be found at https://www.gov.uk/set-up-free-school.
Supporting Political Parties
Political parties welcome new members. Joining one is a way to demonstrate your support for certain
views and to get involved in the democratic process.
Political parties are particularly busy at election times. Members work hard to persuade people to
vote
for their candidates – for instance, by handing out leaflets in the street or by knocking on
people’s
doors and asking for their support. This is called ‘canvassing’. You don’t have to tell a canvasser
how
you intend to vote if you don’t want to.
British citizens can stand for office as a local councillor or a member of Parliament (or the
devolved
equivalents). This is an opportunity to become even more involved in the political life of the UK.
You
may also be able to stand for office if you are an Irish citizen or an eligible Commonwealth
citizen.
You can find out more about joining a political party from the individual party websites.
Helping with Local Services
There are opportunities to volunteer with a wide range of local service providers, including local
hospitals and youth projects. Services often want to involve local people in decisions about the way
in
which they work. Universities, housing associations, museums, and arts councils may advertise for
people
to serve as volunteers in their governing bodies.
You can volunteer with the police and become a special constable or a lay (non-police)
representative.
You can also apply to become a magistrate. You will often find advertisements for vacancies in your
local newspaper or on local radio. You can also find out more about these sorts of roles at www.gov.uk.
Blood and Organ Donation
Donated blood is used by hospitals to help people with a wide range of injuries and illnesses. Giving blood only takes about an hour to do. You can register to give blood at:
- England and North Wales: www.blood.co.uk
- Rest of Wales: www.welsh-blood.org.uk
- Scotland: www.scotblood.co.uk
- Northern Ireland: www.nibts.hscni.net
Other ways to Volunteer
Volunteering is working for good causes without payment. There are many benefits to volunteering,
such
as meeting new people and helping make your community a better place. Some volunteer activities will
give you a chance to practice your English or develop work skills that will help you find or improve
your curriculum vitae (CV). Many people volunteer simply because they want to help other people.
Activities you can do as a volunteer include:
- Working with animals – for example, caring for animals at a local rescue shelter
- Youth work – for example, volunteering at a youth group
- Helping improve the environment – for example, participating in a litter pick-up in the local area
- Working with the homeless in, for example, a homelessness shelter
- Mentoring – for example, supporting someone who has just come out of prison
- Work in health and hospitals – for example, working on an information desk in a hospital
- Helping older people at, for example, a residential care home
Volunteers are needed to help with their activities and to raise money. The charities often advertise in local newspapers, and most have websites that include information about their opportunities. You can also get information about volunteering for different organizations from www.do-it.org.
There are many opportunities for younger people to volunteer and receive accreditation which will help them to develop their skills. These include the National Citizen Service program, which gives 16- and 17-year-olds the opportunity to enjoy outdoor activities, develop their skills, and take part in a community project. You can find out more about these opportunities as follows:
- National Citizen Service: www.wearencs.com
- England: www.vinspired.com
- Wales: www.volunteering-wales.net/vk/volunteers
- Scotland: www.volunteerscotland.net
- Northern Ireland: www.volunteernow.co.uk
Looking after the Environment
It is important to recycle as much of your waste as you can. Using recycled materials to make new
products uses less energy and means that we do not need to extract more raw materials from the
earth. It
also means that less rubbish is created, so the amount being put into landfill is reduced.
You can learn more about recycling and its benefits at www.recyclenow.com. At this website, you can also
find out what you can recycle at home and in the local area you live in England. This information is
available for Wales at www.wasteawarenesswales.org.uk, for
Scotland at
wasteless.zerowastescotland.org.uk,
and for
Northern Ireland from your local authority.
A good way to support your local community is to shop for products locally where you can. This will
help
businesses and farmers in your area in Britain. It will also reduce your carbon footprint because
the
products you buy will not have had to travel as far.
Walking and using public transport to get around when you can is also a good way to protect the
environment. It means that you create less pollution than when you use a car.
Make Sure You Understand
- The different ways you can help at your child’s school
- The role of school governors and members of school boards, and how you can become one
- The role of members of political parties
- The different local services people can volunteer to support
- How to donate blood and organs
- The benefit of volunteering for you, other people, and the community
- The types of activities that volunteers can do
- How you can look after the environment
Study Materials
- Introduction to the Life in the UK Study Guide
- Chapter 1 - The Values and Principles of the UK
- Chapter 2 - What is the UK?
- Chapter 3 - A Long and Illustrious History
- Britain from it's Beginnings
- The Middle Ages
- The Tudors and Stuarts
- A Global Power
- The 20th Century
- Britain since 1945
- Chapter 4 - A Modern, Thriving Society in the UK
- The UK Today
- Religion in the UK
- Customs and Traditions
- Sport in the UK
- Arts and Culture
- Leisure Activities in the UK
- Iconic Places of Interest in the UK
- Chapter 5 - The UK Government, the Law and Your Role
- The Development of British Democracy
- The Government
- Who Can Vote in the UK?
- The UK and International Institutions
- Respecting the Law
- The Role of the Courts
- Fundamental Principles
- Your Role in the Community
Share Our Study Guide