Your role in the community

This page is about active citizenship.

Learn it in this order

• Shared responsibilities
• Being a good neighbour
• Volunteering
• Jury service
• Schools and politics
• Donation and environment

The idea

This page is about active citizenship.

The core idea is simple: residents should obey the law, respect others, help where they can and take part in community life.

Test facts to know

• Settlement and citizenship bring responsibilities and opportunities to participate in community life.
• Shared responsibilities include obeying the law, respecting others’ rights, treating people fairly, behaving responsibly, supporting family, protecting the environment, working where possible, helping others and voting.
• Being a good neighbour includes introducing yourself, limiting noise, respecting privacy and handling rubbish properly.
• Volunteering helps people integrate, meet others and support the community.
• People on the electoral register can be selected for jury service; the age range includes 18 to 70, and 18 to 75 in England and Wales.
• Parents can help schools through classrooms, fundraising, PTAs and school governance.
• Political parties welcome members and canvassing means asking voters for support.
• British citizens can stand for office, with some rights also for Irish citizens and eligible Commonwealth citizens.
• People can volunteer with local services, hospitals, police, youth projects and governing bodies.
• Blood and organ donation are ways to help others.
• Voluntary organisations include charities working with older people, children, homelessness, medical research, environment and animals.
• Looking after the environment is part of community responsibility.

How questions may test it

• Identify shared values and responsibilities of residents and citizens.
• Recognise volunteering as unpaid work for good causes.
• Identify jury service and electoral-register link.
• Understand school governors and PTAs as community roles.
• Define canvassing in political campaigning.
• Recognise blood donation, organ donation and environmental care as community support.

Key terms

community, volunteering, jury service, electoral register, PTA, school governor, political party, canvassing, special constable, magistrate, blood donation, organ donation, charity, National Trust.