Chapter 5 · The UK government, the law and your role

Your role in the community: Life in the UK test study notes

Living in the UK brings shared responsibilities as well as rights: obeying the law, respecting other people and their views, and treating everyone fairly. Other responsibilities are looking after yourself and your family, and caring for the environment. Being a good neighbour, for example by introducing yourself, keeping noise down and putting rubbish out on the right day, helps you settle into your community. There are many ways to get involved locally. Volunteering means working for a good cause without pay, for example with animals, young people, charities or the environment, and it helps you meet people and gain skills. People on the electoral register can be called for jury service, which is a civic duty. Parents can become school governors, or join the body that represents parents in Scottish schools. You can support a political party by handing out leaflets or canvassing, volunteer as a magistrate or special constable, give blood and record your decision about organ donation. Everyone can help the environment by recycling, not dropping litter, walking or cycling where possible and buying local produce.

Key facts to remember

Shared responsibilities include obeying the law, respecting others' rights and opinions, treating people fairly and caring for the environment.
Shared values also include protecting your family, working, helping others and voting in local and national government elections.
Good neighbours introduce themselves, keep noise down and put rubbish out on the right day.
Volunteering is working for a good cause without pay.
Examples of volunteering: working with animals, youth work, befriending, fundraising, helping the environment, litter picks, helping homeless or older people and mentoring recently released prisoners.
Volunteering helps you meet people, practise your English and gain skills and experience for work.
Charities include Age UK (works with older people), the NSPCC (children), Friends of the Earth (the environment) and Cancer Research UK (funds research).
Jurors are picked at random from the electoral register. Jury service is a duty for people aged 18 to 75 in England and Wales, and 18 to 70 in Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Parents can become school governors in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
School governors and school board members must be at least 18 when elected or appointed; there is no upper age limit.
Governors and school boards set a school's strategic direction, ensure accountability and monitor its performance.
In Scotland, school boards were replaced by Parent Councils in 2007.
Party members help by handing out leaflets and canvassing door to door; you never have to tell canvassers how you plan to vote.
You can volunteer with the police as a special constable (a part-time volunteer police officer) or a lay (non-police) representative, and anyone can apply to be a magistrate.
Giving blood is voluntary and unpaid and takes about an hour; donated blood helps hospitals treat many injuries and illnesses.
Organ donation decisions are recorded on the NHS Organ Donor Register; joining it makes your wishes known, which can help your family decide after your death.
As well as donating organs after death, a living person can donate a kidney.
Organ donation is now opt-out in all four nations (Wales 2015, England 2020, Scotland 2021, Northern Ireland 2023).
To help the environment: recycle, don't drop litter, walk or cycle, and buy local.
Recycling saves energy, reduces the raw materials taken from the earth and cuts the amount of rubbish sent to landfill.
Buying locally sourced products supports local businesses and farmers and cuts your carbon footprint, as goods travel shorter distances.

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These notes summarise the official handbook, Life in the United Kingdom: A Guide for New Residents (3rd edition), which all the test questions come from. Try the free chapter 5 questions.