Chapter 5: The UK Government, the Law and Your Role

Your Role in the Community: Voting, Jury Service and Volunteering

最后核查：15 July 2026

• 1Becoming a UK citizen or permanent resident means agreeing to shared values and responsibilities: obeying the law, being tolerant, treating others fairly, and looking after your family, your local area and the environment.
• 2Being a good neighbour: introduce yourself, be considerate about noise, keep your property tidy, and only put rubbish bins out on collection days; offering help (e.g. shopping for a sick neighbour) builds community.
• 3Volunteering benefits both community and volunteer: meeting people, improving your English, and gaining useful work experience for job applications.
• 4Voter registration: to vote you must have your name on the electoral register — register through your local council's electoral registration office (in Scotland the Electoral Registration Office).
• 5The electoral register is updated every year (September/October); a registration form is sent to every household, which must list all eligible residents.
• 6Northern Ireland uses a different system — individual registration: each person registers separately, and once registered you stay on the list as long as your details don't change.
• 7The electoral register can be inspected at the local council's electoral registration office (under supervision) and in some libraries.
• 8Who can vote: the voting age in the UK is 18; UK-born and naturalised citizens can vote in all elections; citizens of the Commonwealth and the Republic of Ireland who are UK residents can also vote in all elections; EU citizens resident in the UK can vote in all elections EXCEPT general elections (as of 2013).
• 9Voting takes place at polling stations (called polling places in Scotland); before an election you receive a poll card telling you where and when to vote; you can also apply for a postal ballot.
• 10Elections are by secret ballot; nobody has the right to see how you voted; staff at the polling station will explain the procedure if needed.
• 11Standing for office: most adult citizens of the UK, Ireland or the Commonwealth aged 18 or over can stand for public office.
• 12Exceptions — people who cannot stand include members of the armed forces, civil servants and people found guilty of certain criminal offences; members of the House of Lords may not stand for the House of Commons but may stand for other offices.
• 13Contacting elected representatives: contact details are in local libraries and on official websites; MPs hold regular local "surgeries" (drop-in sessions) advertised locally, and you can write to your MP at the House of Commons, Westminster, London SW1A 0AA, or phone via the House of Commons switchboard.
• 14Jury service: anyone aged 18 to 70 who is on the electoral register can be randomly selected for jury service — a civic duty.
• 15Helping in schools: parents and others can volunteer to help in classrooms (e.g. hearing children read) or with sports days and other activities; volunteering is often required to be checked (criminal record check).
• 16School governors (in Scotland, school boards): volunteers aged 18 or over who help set a school's strategic direction, improve standards and hold the school to account; you can apply via the school or through dedicated services; parents can also serve — in England you can apply online through the School Governors' One-Stop Shop.
• 17Supporting political parties: anyone can join a party, help at elections by canvassing (knocking on doors to ask for support), or stand for office themselves.
• 18Helping with local services: volunteers are welcomed in hospitals, libraries and with the police — e.g. serving as a magistrate (lay justice) or becoming a special constable (part-time volunteer police officer); you can also become a lay member of local decision-making bodies.
• 19Blood and organ donation: giving blood takes about an hour and anyone aged 17 or over can donate; you can register to donate organs after death (NHS Organ Donor Register, or note it on your driving licence); living donation (e.g. a kidney) is also possible.
• 20Volunteering with charities: well-known UK charities include the NSPCC (children), Age UK (older people), Crisis and Shelter (homelessness), the British Red Cross, and the PDSA (animals); environmental charities include the National Trust and Friends of the Earth.
• 21The National Citizen Service programme gives 16- and 17-year-olds the chance to do outdoor activities and develop skills through community projects.
• 22Looking after the environment: recycle waste to reduce landfill; learn your local council's recycling arrangements; walk, cycle or use public transport where possible; shop locally and buy products with fewer air miles to support local businesses and cut fuel pollution.