Your Role in the Community

Although Britain is one of the world's most diverse societies, there is a set of shared values and responsibilities that everyone can agree with. These include: to obey and respect the law; to be aware of the rights of others and respect those rights; to treat others with fairness; to behave responsibly; to help and protect your family; to respect and preserve the environment; to treat everyone equally, regardless of sex, race, religion, age, disability, class or sexual orientation; to work to provide for yourself and your family; to help others; and to vote in local and national government elections.

When you move into a new house or apartment, introduce yourself to the people who live near you. Getting to know your neighbours can help you to become part of the community and make friends. You can help prevent problems by respecting their privacy, limiting noise, keeping your garden tidy, and only putting refuse on the street when due to be collected.

Volunteering and helping your community are an important part of being a good citizen. They enable you to integrate and get to know other people. It helps to make your community a better place if residents support each other.

As well as getting the right to vote, people on the electoral register are randomly selected to serve on a jury. Anyone who is on the electoral register and is aged 18 to 70 can be asked to do this. In England and Wales, the upper age limit is 75.

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 three key roles: setting the strategic direction of the school, ensuring accountability, and monitoring and evaluating school performance.

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. British citizens can stand for office as a local councillor or a member of Parliament (or the devolved equivalents). You may also be able to stand for office if you are an Irish citizen or an eligible Commonwealth citizen.

Donated blood is used by hospitals to help people with a wide range of injuries and illnesses. Giving blood only takes about an hour. Many people in the UK are waiting for organ transplants. If you register to be an organ donor, it can make it easier for your family to decide whether to donate your organs when you die. Living people can also donate a kidney.

Charities and voluntary organisations work in many areas, including older people, children, homelessness, medical research, the environment and animals. The People's Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA) is an example of an animal charity. Younger people can volunteer through programmes such as the National Citizen Service, which gives 16- and 17-year-olds outdoor activities, skills development and community projects.

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. 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. Walking and using public transport to get around is also a good way to protect the environment.