How to Pass the Life in UK Test | British Citizenship Test

life in the United Kingdom a guide for new residents this online video edition of the official handbook life in the United Kingdom a guide for new residents contains all the information that you need to pass the official life in the UK test we have created short notes of all the important facts in the videos for a quick go through and revision this will help you clear life in the UK test in the first attempt you may also attempt practice tests questions which are available on our website WWF training comm it is really important to understand what is life in the UK test life in the UK test we're also called the British citizenship test is one of the requirements that need to be fulfilled before becoming permanent residents of the UK or applying to be British citizens life in the UK test is used to determine the applicants knowledge of the life in the UK in order to assess whether they have assimilated in the culture of the country the test consists of multiple choice questions 24 questions are asked to be answered in 45 minutes applicants need to answer 18 questions correctly in order to score a pass or 75% who should take the test everybody in the age bracket of 18 to 64 is required to pass this test as part of their citizenship or indefinite leave to remain application course outline the questions are based out of life in the UK a guide for new residents handbook which has six chapters and covers various aspects of life in the UK including its history customs traditions political systems and laws that govern the UK life in the UK test covers the following topics chapter 1 the values and principles of the UK chapter 2 what is the UK chapter 3 a long and illustrious history chapter for a modern thriving society chapter 5 the UK government the law and your role other information of about the exam is given in the table below this chapter covers fundamental rights and responsibilities which apply to everyone who lives in the UK whether citizen or not also it covers information about the format of the life in the UK test and the requirements for becoming a permanent resident British society is founded on fundamental values and principles based on history and traditions and are protected by law customs and expectations no place in British society for extremism or intolerance the fundamental principles of British life include first democracy second the rule of law third individual liberty fourth tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs fifth participation and community life if you wish to be a permanent resident or citizen of the UK you should first respect and obey the law second respect the rights of others including their right to their own opinions third treat others with fairness fourth look after yourself and your family fifth look after the area in which you live and the environment in return the UK offers first freedom of belief and religion second freedom of speech third freedom from unfair discrimination fourth our right to a fair trial fifth a right to join in the election of a government next topic of this chapter is becoming a permanent resident let's start discussing about it to apply to become a permanent resident or citizen of the UK you will need to first speak and read English second have a good understanding of life in the UK for settlement or permanent residents you will need to first pass the life in the UK test second produce acceptable evidence of speaking and listening skills in English at be one of the common European framework of reference this is equivalent to East will entry level 3 the requirements for citizenship applications may also change in the future further details will be published on the UK Border Agency website and you should check the information on that website for current requirements before applying for settlement or citizenship next chapter is what is the UK in this chapter you will learn about the countries that make up the Union as well as the various phrases used to describe them although this chapter is very short you should make sure that you understand all facts presented for instance it is very likely there will be questions about the differences between Great Britain the British Isles and Britain or what the Crown Dependencies are the countries that make up the UK are England Scotland Wales Northern Island there are also several islands which are closely linked with the UK but are not part of it the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man these have their own governments and are called Crown Dependencies there are also several British overseas territories in other parts of the world such as st. Helena and the Falkland Islands they are also linked to the UK but are not a part of it next chapter is a long and illustrious history in this chapter you will learn about British history starting from the Stone Age the beginning focuses on arriving populations which affected the language and religions of Britain after that the focus is on the development of the monarchy church and Parliament major battles and significant periods are covered including the Civil War the Industrial Revolution and the Empire in this chapter there is information about first the history of early Britain second the medieval period third the Tudor and Stuart monarchs of the UK fourth the establishment of parliament fifth the unification of the United Kingdom sixth great British inventions and sporting figures seventh the Enlightenment and Industrial Revolution 8th the Victorian age and the British Empire ninth the First World War 10th the Great Depression 11th the Second World War 12th Britain since 1945 and the welfare state next we will tell you about early brit ain the first people to live in britain were hunter-gatherers in what we call the Stone Age for much of the Stone Age Britain was connected to the continent by a land bridge people came and went following the herds of deer and horses which they hunted Britain only became permanently separated from the continent by the channel about ten thousand years ago Stonehenge around 4000 years ago people learn to make bronze we call this period the Bronze Age people lived in round houses and buried their dead in tombs called round barrows the people of the Bronze Age were accomplished metal workers who made many beautiful objects in bronze and gold including tools ornaments and weapons the Bronze Age was followed by the Iron Age when people learned how to make weapons and tools out of iron people still lived in round houses grouped together into larger settlements and sometimes defended sites called hill forts next part of the chapter is the Romans Julius Caesar letter Roman invasion of Britain and 55 BC this was unsuccessful and for nearly 100 years Britain remained separate from the Roman Empire in AD 43 the Emperor Claudius led the Roman army in a new envision this time there was resistance from some of the British tribes but the Romans were successful in occupying almost all of Britain areas of what is now Scotland were never conquered by the Romans and the Emperor Hadrian built a wall in the north of England to keep out the Picts ancestors of the Scottish people included in the wall where a number of fort's parts of Hadrian's Wall including the forts of house Stead's and Vindolanda can still be seen it is a popular area for walkers and is a unesco world heritage site next Hadrian's Wall the Romans remained in Britain for 400 years they built roads and public buildings created a structure of law and introduced new plants and animals it was during the third and fourth centuries ad that the first Christian communities began to appear in Britain next is the anglo-saxons the Roman army left Britain in AD 410 to defend other parts of the Roman Empire and never returned Britain was again invaded by tribes from Northern Europe the Jutes the angles and the Saxons the languages they spoke are the basis of modern-day English battles were fought against these invaders but by about AD 600 anglo-saxon kingdoms were established in Britain these kingdoms were mainly in what is now England the burial place of one of the kings was at Sutton Hoo in modern Suffolk the anglo-saxons were not Christians when they first came to Britain but during this period missionaries came to Britain to preach about Christianity missionaries from Ireland spread the religion in the north the most famous of these were st. Patrick who would become the patron saint of Ireland and Saint Columba who founded a monastery on the island of Iona off the coast of what is now Scotland st. Augustine led missionaries from Rome who spread Christianity in the south st. Augustine became the first Archbishop of Canterbury next part is the Vikings the Vikings came from Denmark and Norway they first visited Britain in AD 789 to raid coastal towns and take away Goods and slaves then they began to stay and form their own communities in the East of England and Scotland anglo-saxon Kings continued to rule what is now England except for a short period when there were Danish kings the first of these was Knut also called Knut next the Norman Conquest in 1066 an invasion led by William the Duke of Normandy in what is now northern France defeated Harold the Saxon King of England at the Battle of Hastings Harold was killed in the Battle William became King of England and is known as William the Conqueror the battle is commemorated in a great piece of embroidery known as the Bayou tapestry which can still be seen in France today Bayu tapestry William sent people all over England to draw up lists of all the towns and villages the people who live there who owned the land and what animals they owned were also listed this was called the Doomsday Book it still exists today and gives a picture of society in England just after the Norman Conquest next topic of this chapter is the Middle Ages war at home and abroad the period after the Norman Conquest up until about 1485 is called the Middle Ages or the medieval period it was a time of almost constant war the English kings fought with a Welsh Scottish and Irish nobleman for control of their lands in Wales the English were able to establish their rule huge castles including Conway and Carnarvon were built to maintain this power by the middle of the 15th century the last twelve elion had been defeated English laws and the English language were introduced in Scotland the English kings were less successful in 1314 the Scottish led by Robert de Bru's defeated the English at the Battle of Bannockburn and Scotland remained unconquered by the English at the beginning of the Middle Ages Ireland was an independent country the English first went to Ireland as troops to help the Irish King and remain to build their own settlements during the Middle Ages the English Kings also fought a number of wars abroad many knights took part in the Crusades in which European Christians fought for control of the Holy Land the period after the Norman Conquest up until about 1485 is called the Middle Ages or the medieval period it was a time of almost constant war the English kings fought with a Welsh Scottish and Irish nobleman for control of their lands in Wales the English were able to establish their rule huge castles including Conway and Carnarvon were built to maintain this power by the middle of the 15th century the last Welsh rebellions had been defeated English laws and the English language were introduced next legal and political changes in the Middle Ages Parliament began to develop into the institution it is today its origins can be traced to the Kings Council of advisers which included important noblemen and the leaders of the church in England Parliament's were called for the king to consult his Nobles particularly when the King needed to raise money the numbers attending Parliament increased and two separate parts known as houses were established in England judges developed common law by a process of precedence that is following previous decisions and tradition in Scotland the legal system developed slightly differently and laws were codified that is written down the war of roses and 1455 a civil war was begun to decide who should be king of England it was fought between the supporters of two families the House of Lancaster and the House of York this war was called the Wars of the Roses because the symbol of Lancaster was a red rose and the symbol of York was a white rose the war ended with the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485 King Richard the third of the House of York was killed in the battle and Henry Tudor the leader of the House of Lancaster became King Henry the seventh Henry then married King Richard's niece Elizabeth of York and United the two families next topic of this chapter is the 20th century the first world war the early 20th century was a time of optimism in Britain the nation with its expansive Empire well admired navy thriving industry and strong political institutions was what is now known as a global superpower it was also a time of social progress financial help for the unemployed old age pensions and free school meals were just a few of the important measures introduced local government became more democratic and a salary for members of parliament was introduced for the first time making it easier for more people to take part in public life this era of optimism and progress was cut short when war broke out between several European nations On June 28 1914 Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria was assassinated this set off a chain of events leading to the first world war 1914 18 the conflict was centred in Europe but it was a global war involving nations from around the world Britain was part of the Allied powers which included France Russia Japan Belgium Serbia and later Greece Italy Romania and the United States the whole of the British Empire was involved in the conflict - for example more than a million Indians fought behalf of Britain in lots of different countries and around 40,000 were killed meant from the West Indies Africa Australia New Zealand and Canada also fought with the British the Allies fought against the Central Powers mainly Germany the austro-hungarian Empire the Ottoman Empire and later Bulgaria millions of people were killed or wounded with more than 2 million British casualties one battle the British attack on the Somme in July 1916 resulted in about 60,000 British casualties on the first day alone the First World War ended at 11:00 a.m. on 11th of November 1918 with victory for Britain and its allies the partition of Ireland in 1913 the British government promised Home Rule for Ireland the proposal was to have a self-governing Ireland with its own Parliament but still part of the UK a Home Rule bill was introduced in Parliament it was opposed by the Protestants in the north of Ireland who threatened to resist Home Rule by force the outbreak of the First World War led the British government to postpone any changes in Ireland Irish nationalists were not willing to wait and in 1916 there was an uprising against the British in Dublin the leaders of the uprising were executed under military law a guerrilla war against the British Army and the police in Ireland followed in 1921 a peace treaty was signed and in 1922 Ireland became two countries the six counties in the north which were mainly Protestant remained part of the UK under the name Northern Ireland the rest of Ireland became the Irish Free State it had its own government and became a republic in 1949 there were people in both parts of Ireland who disagreed with the split between the north and the south they still wanted Ireland to be one independent country years of disagreement led to a terror campaign in Northern Ireland and elsewhere the conflict between those wishing for full Irish independence and those wishing to remain loyal to the British government is often referred to as the troubles the Second World War Adolf Hitler came to power in Germany in 1933 he believed that the conditions imposed on Germany by the Allies after the first world war were unfair he also wanted to conquer more land for the German people he said about renegotiating treaties building up arms and testing Germany's military strength and nearby countries the British government tried to avoid another war however when Hitler invaded Poland in 1939 Britain and France declared war in order to stop his aggression the war was initially fought between the Axis powers fascist Germany and Italy in the Empire of Japan and the Allies the main countries on the Allied side were the UK France Poland Australia New Zealand Canada and the Union of South Africa as France fell the British decided to evacuate British and French soldiers from France and a huge naval operation many civilian volunteers and small pleasure and fishing boats from Britain helped the Navy to rescue more than 300,000 men from the beaches around Dunkirk although many lives and a lot of equipment were lost the evacuation was a success and meant that Britain was better able to continue the fight against the Germans the evacuation gave rise to the phrase the Dunkirk spirit from the end of June 1940 until the German invasion of the Soviet Union in June 1941 Britain and the Empire stood almost alone against Nazi Germany Hitler wanted to invade Britain but before sending in troops Germany needed to control the air the Germans waged an air campaign against Britain but the British resisted with their fighter planes and eventually won the crucial aerial battle against the Germans called the Battle of Britain in the summer of 1940 next topic of this chapter is Britain since 1945 the welfare state in 1945 the British people elected a Labour government the new prime minister was Clement Attlee who promised to introduce the welfare state outlined in the beverage report in 1948 on Iran Bevin the Minister for Health led the establishment of the National Health Service which guaranteed a minimum standard of healthcare for all free at the point of use another aspect of change was self-government for former colonies in 1947 independence was granted to nine countries including India pact stan and salon now Srilanka other colonies in Africa the Caribbean and the Pacific achieved independence over the next 20 years the UK developed its own atomic bomb and joined the new North Atlantic Treaty Organization an alliance of Nations set up to resist the perceived threat of invasion by the Soviet Union and its allies next we will learn about Clement Attlee Clement Attlee was born in London in 1883 his father was a solicitor and after studying at Oxford University Atlee became a barrister he was Winston Churchill's Deputy Prime Minister in the wartime coalition government and became prime minister after the Labour Party won the 1945 election he was prime minister from 1945 to 1951 and led the Labour Party for 20 years next William Beveridge William Beveridge later Lord beverage was a British economist and social reformer he served briefly as a Liberal MP and was subsequently the leader of the Liberals in the House of Lords but is best known for the 1942 report social insurance and allied services known as the beverage report the report was commissioned by the wartime government in 1941 it recommended that the government should find ways of fighting the five giant evils of want disease ignorance squalor and idleness and provided the basis of the modern welfare state next are a butler Richard Austin Butler later Lord Butler was born in 1902 he became a Conservative MP in 1923 and held several positions before becoming responsible for education in 1941 in this role he oversaw the introduction of the Education Act 1944 often called the butler Act which introduced free secondary education in England and Wales the education system has changed significantly since the Act was introduced but the division between primary and secondary schools that it enforced still remains in most areas of Britain next Dylan Thomas Dylan Thomas was a Welsh poet and writer he often read and performed his work in public including for the BBC his most well-known works include the radio play Under Milk Wood first performed after his death in nineteen fifty-four and the poem do not go gentle into that good night which he wrote for his dying father in 1952 he died at the age of 39 in New York it is also important to know the social change that took place in the 1960s the decade of the 1960s was a period of significant social change it was known as the swinging 60s there was growth in British fashion cinema and popular music the famous changes that took place in that air our first television it was developed by Scotsman John Logie Baird in the 1920s in 1932 he made the first television broadcast between London and Glasgow second radar it was developed by Scotsman Sir Robert watson-watt who proposed that enemy aircraft could be detected by radio waves the first successful radar test took place in 1935 third the radio telescope working with radar led Sir Bernard Lovell to make new discoveries in astronomy the radio telescope he built a general Bank in Cheshire was for many years the biggest in the world and continues to operate today fourth a touring machine it is a theoretical mathematical device invented by Alan Turing a British mathematician in the 1930s the theory was influential in the development of computer science and the modern day computer fifth insulin the Scottish physician and researcher Dunn McCloud was the co-discoverer of insulin used to treat diabetes Margaret Thatcher Margaret Thatcher was the daughter of a grocer from Grantham in Lincolnshire she trained as a chemist and lawyer she was elected as a Conservative MP in 1959 and became a cabinet minister in 1970 as the Secretary of State for Education and science in 1975 she was elected as leader of the Conservative Party and so became leader of the Opposition she was Britain's first woman Prime Minister led the Conservative government from 1979 to 1990 the government made structural changes to the economy through the privatization of nationalized industries and imposed legal controls on trade union powers deregulation saw a great increase in the role of the City of London as an international center for investments insurance and other financial services roald dahl he was born in Wales to Norwegian parents he served in the Royal Air Force during the Second World War it was during the 1940s that he began to publish books and short stories he is most well known for his children's books although he also wrote for adults his best-known works include Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and George's marvelous Medicine several of his books have been made into films next chapter is a modern thriving society in this chapter you will learn about the population and culture of the UK the start of the chapter shows you where the major cities of the UK are you should be sure you can identify the various cities such as Leeds and Bradford confidently because the UK is a multicultural country you will also have to know the sizes of the different ethnic and religious groups in the UK as well as their main festivals Britain's recent sporting success at the Olympics features heavily so focus on who won medals and for what as well as the general information about sport in the UK make sure you familiarize yourself with the poems films books and other works listed too as well as the artists composers architects authors poets and other famous people you should also familiarize yourself with the extracts of poems provided and be able to recognize the famous landmarks at the end of the chapter first topic of this chapter is the UK today the UK today is a more diverse society than it was 100 years ago in both ethnic and religious terms post-war immigration means that nearly 10 percent of the population has a parent or grandparent born outside the UK this section will tell you about the different parts of the UK and some of the important places the UK is located in the northwest of Europe the longest distance on the mainland is from John O'Groats on the north coast of Scotland to Lands End in a southwest corner of England it is about 870 miles approximately 1400 kilometres most people live in towns and cities but much of Britain is still countryside many people continue to visit the countryside for holidays and for a leisure activities such as walking camping and fishing cities of the UK first England famous cities like London Birmingham Liverpool Leeds Sheffield Bristol Manchester Bradford Newcastle upon Tyne Plymouth Southampton Norwich are located in England second Wales cities like Wales Cardiff Swansea Newport are located in Wales third Scotland cities like Edinburgh Glasgow Dundee Aberdeen are located in Scotland fourth Northern Ireland cities like Belfast Derry Bangor a part of northern island London the capital of England and the United Kingdom is a 21st century city with history stretching back to Roman times at its centre stand the imposing houses of parliament the iconic Big Ben clock tower and Westminster Abbey site of British monarch coronations across the Thames River the London Eye observation wheel provides panoramic views of the south bank cultural complex and the entire city the currency in the UK is that pound sterling there are 100 pence and a pound the denominations of currency are first coins which are called pence the singular of Pence is penny the symbol for the penny is pea second notes which are called pounds Northern Ireland and Scotland have their own banknotes which are valid everywhere in the UK however shops and businesses do not have to accept them languages and dialects there are many variations in language in the different parts of the UK the English language has many accents and dialects in Wales many people speak Welsh a completely different language from English and it is taught in schools and universities in Scotland Gaelic again a different language is spoken in some parts of the Highlands and Islands and in Northern Ireland some people speak Irish Gaelic people in the UK are living longer than ever before this is due to a living standards and better healthcare there are now a record number of people aged 85 and over this has an impact on the cost of pensions and healthcare ethnic diversity the UK population is ethnically diverse and changing rapidly especially in large cities such as London it is not always easy to get an exact picture of the ethnic origin of all the population there are people in the UK with ethnic origins from all over the world in surveys the most common ethnic description chosen is white which includes people of European Australian Canadian New Zealand and American descent other significant groups are those of Asian black and mixed descent next topic of this chapter is religion the UK is historically a Christian country in the 2009 citizenship survey 70% of people identify themselves as Christian much smaller proportions identified themselves as Muslim 4% Hindu 2% Sikh 1% Jewish or Buddhist both less than half a percent and 2 percent of people followed another religion there are religious buildings for other religions all over the UK this includes Islamic mosques Hindu temples Jewish synagogues see gurudwaras and Buddhist temples Christian churches in England there is a constitutional link between church and state the official Church of the state is the Church of England called the Anglican Church in other countries and the Episcopal Church in Scotland and the United States it is a Protestant Church and has existed since the Reformation in the 1530s the monarch is the head of the Church of England the spiritual leader of the Church of England is the Archbishop of Canterbury the monarch has the right to select the archbishop and other senior church officials but usually the choice is made by the Prime Minister and a committee appointed by the church several Church of England bishops sit in the House of Lords patron saints days England Scotland Wales and Northern Ireland each have a national saint called a patron saint each saint has a special day 1st March st. David's Day Wales 17th March Saint Patrick's Day Northern Ireland 23rd April st. George's Day England 30th November st. Andrew's Day Scotland while the patron saints days are no longer public holidays in England and Wales they are still celebrated parades and small festivals are held all over the two countries next topic of this chapter is customs and traditions the Maine Christian festivals Christmas Day 25th of December celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ it is a public holiday many Christians go to church on Christmas Eve 24th of December or on Christmas Day itself Boxing Day is the day after Christmas Day and is a public holiday 2nd Easter it takes place in March or April it marks the death of Jesus Christ on Good Friday and is rising from the dead on Easter Sunday both Good Friday and the following Monday called Easter Monday are public holidays other religious festivals celebrated in UK our first diwali it normally falls in October or November and lasts for 5 days it is often called the festival of lights it is celebrated by Hindus and Sikhs it celebrates the victory of good over evil and the gaining of knowledge there are different stories about how the festival came about there is a famous celebration of Diwali in Leicester 2nd Hanukkah it is in November or December and is celebrated for eight days it is to remember the Jews struggle for religious freedom on each day of the festival a candle is lit on a stand of eight candles called a menorah to remember the story of the festival where oil that should have lasted only a dated so Freight third eat all fitter it celebrates the end of Ramadan when Muslims have fasted for a month they thank Allah for giving them the strength to complete the fast the date when it takes place changes every year Muslims attend special services and meals fourth Holi the celebration of Holi is noticeable at places that witness a large congregation of Indians the British City of Leicester is particularly known it's love for celebrating Indian festivals excitement reaches its peak when the occasion is that of celebrating a joyous festival like holy other festivals and traditions followed in UK first New Year 1st January is a public holiday people usually celebrate on the night of 31st December called New Year's Eve 2nd Valentine's Day 14th February is when lovers exchange cards and gifts sometimes people send anonymous cards to someone to secretly admire 3rd Halloween 31st October is an ancient festival and has roots in the pagan festival to mark the beginning of winter young people will often dress up in frightening costumes to play trick or treat 4th Mothering Sunday or Mother's Day is the Sunday three weeks before Easter children send cards or buy gifts for their mothers fifth Father's Day is the third Sunday in June children send cards or buy gifts for their fathers next topic of this chapter is sports sports of all kinds play an important part in many people's lives there are several sports that are particularly popular in the UK many sporting events take place at major stadiums such as Wembley Stadium in London and the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff the UK has hosted the Olympic Games on three occasions 1908 1948 and 2012 the main Olympic site for the 2012 games was in Stratford East London the British team was very successful across a wide range of Olympic sports finishing third in the medal table notable British sportsmen and women first Sir Roger Bannister he was the first man in the world to run a mile in under four minutes in 1954 second sir Jackie Stewart he is a Scottish former racing driver who won the Formula One World Championship three times third sir steve redgrave he won gold medals in rowing in five consecutive Olympic Games and is one of Britain's greatest Olympians fourth Sir Ian Botham he captained the English cricket team and holds a number of English Test cricket records both for batting and for bullying fifth Jessica Ennis she is an athlete she won the 2012 Olympic gold medal in the heptathlon which includes seven different track and field events she also holds a number of British athletics records sixth Jane Torvill she won gold medals for ice dancing at the Olympic Games in 1984 and in four consecutive World Championships seventh Dame Ellen MacArthur she is a yachts woman and in 2004 became the fastest person to sail around the world single-handed 8th Ellie Simmonds he is a Paralympian who won gold medals for swimming at the 2008 and 2012 Paralympic Games and holds a number of World Records she was the youngest member of the British team at the 2008 games 9th Bobby Moore he captained the English football team that won the World Cup in 1966 10th Andy Murray he is a Scottish tennis player who in 2012 won the men's ingles in the US Open he is the first British man to win a singles title in a Grand Slam tournament since 1936 in the same year he won Olympic gold and silver medals and was runner-up in the men's singles at Wimbledon eleventh Baroness tanni grey-thompson she is an athlete who uses a wheelchair and won 16 Paralympic medals including 11 gold medals in races over five Paralympic Games she won the London Marathon six times and broke a total of 30 world records let us now discuss about sports of UK first cricket cricket originated in England and is now played in many countries games can last up to 5 days but still result in a draw the idiosyncratic nature of the game and its complex laws are said to reflect the best of the British character and sense of fair play you may come across expressions such as rain stopped play batting on a sticky wicket playing a straight bat bowled at googly where it's just not cricket which have passed into everyday usage the most famous competition is the ashes which is a series of test matches played between England and Australia second football football is the UK's most popular sport it has a long history in the UK and the first professional football clubs were formed in the late 19th century England Scotland Wales and Northern Ireland each have separate leagues in which clubs representing different towns and cities compete the English Premier League tracks a huge international audience many of the best players in the world play in the Premier League each country in the UK also has its own national team that competes with other national teams across the world in tournaments such as the FIFA World Cup and the UEFA European football championships England's only international tournament victory was at the World Cup of 1966 hosted in the UK football is also a popular sport to play in many local communities with people playing amateur games every week in parks all over the UK third rugby rugby originated in England in the early 19th century and is very popular in the UK today there are two different types of rugby which have different rules Union and League have separate leagues and national teams in England Wales Scotland and Northern Ireland teams from all countries compete in a range of competitions the most famous rugby union competition is the Six Nations Championship between England Ireland Scotland Wales France and Italy the super league is the most well known rugby league competition fourth horse-racing there is a very long history of horse-racing in Britain with evidence of events taking place as far back as Roman times the sport has a long association with royalty there are race courses all over the UK famous horse racing events include Royal Ascot a five-day race meeting in Berkshire attended by members of the royal family the grand national attained tree near Liverpool and the Scottish grand national at air there is a national horse racing Museum in Newmarket Suffolk v skiing skiing is increasingly popular in the UK many people go abroad to ski and there are also dry ski slopes throughout the UK skiing on snow may also be possible during the winter there are five ski centres in Scotland as well as europe's longest dry ski slope near edinburgh next topic of this chapter is arts and culture music music is an important part of British culture with a rich and varied heritage it ranges from classical music to modern pop there are many different venues and musical events that take place across the UK classical music has been popular in the UK for many centuries Henry Purcell was the organist at Westminster Abbey he wrote church music operas and other pieces and developed a British style distinct from that elsewhere in Europe he continues to be influential own British composers the German born composer George Frederick Handel spent many years in the UK and became a British citizen in 1727 he wrote the water music for King George the first and music for the Royal Fireworks for his son George the second both these pieces continued to be very popular more recently important composers include Gustav Holst whose work includes the planets a suite of pieces themed around the planets of the solar system he adapted Jupiter part of the planet sweet as the tune for I've out of my country a popular ham in British churches Benjamin Britten is best known for his operas which include Peter Grimes and Billy Budd he also wrote a young person's guide to the orchestra which is based on a piece of music by Percel and introduces the listener to the various different sections of an orchestra he founded the Alber Festival in Suffolk which continues to be a popular music event of international importance Ralph Vaughan Williams wrote music for orchestras and choirs he was strongly influenced by traditional English folk music next we will discuss theatre London's West End also known as theatre land is particularly well known the mousetrap a murder-mystery play by de Magath a Christi has been running in the West End since 1952 and has had the longest initial run of any show in history Gilbert and Sullivan wrote comic operas often making fun of popular culture and politics these operas include hims pinafore the Pirates of Penzance and The Mikado Gilbert and Sullivan's work is still often staged by professional and amateur groups the Laurence Olivier Awards take place annually at different venues in London there are a variety of categories including Best Director Best Actor and Best Actress the awards are named after the British actor Sir Laurence Olivier later Lord Olivier next art during the Middle Ages most art had a religious theme particularly wall paintings in churches and illustrations in religious books much of this was lost after the Protestant Reformation but wealthy families began to collect other paintings and sculptures many of the painters working in Britain in the 16th and 17th centuries were from abroad for example Hans Holbein and Sir Anthony Van Dyck British artists particularly those painting portraits and landscapes became well known from the 18th century onwards some famous British artists are first Jon Petz he was a Welsh artist best known for his engravings and stained-glass second Thomas Gainsborough was a portrait painter who often painted people in country or garden scenery third Joseph Turner he was an influential landscape painter in a modern style he is considered the artist who raised the profile of landscape painting architecture of UK the architectural heritage of the UK is rich and varied in the Middle Ages great cathedrals and churches were built many of which still stand today examples of the cathedrals in Durham Lincoln Canterbury and Salisbury the White Tower in the Tower of London is an example of a Norman castle keep built on the orders of William the Conqueror Cenotaph in London Whitehall in the 20th century Sir Edwin Lutyens had an influence throughout the British Empire he designed New Delhi to be the seat of government in India after the first world war he was responsible for many war memorials throughout the world including the Cenotaph in Whitehall the Cenotaph is the site of the annual Remembrance Day service attended by the Queen politicians and foreign ambassadors literature the UK has a prestigious literary history and tradition the Man Booker Prize for fiction is awarded annually for the best fiction novel written by an author from the Commonwealth Ireland or Zimbabwe it has been awarded since 1968 notable authors and writers first Graham Greene he wrote novels often influenced by his religious beliefs including the heart of the matter the honorary consul Brighton rock and our man in Havana second Jane Austen she was an English novelist her books include Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility her novels are concerned with marriage and family relationships many have been made into television programmes or films third Thomas Hardy he was an author and poet his best-known novels focus on rural society and include far from the madding crowd and Jude the Obscure fourth JK Rowling she wrote the Harry Potter series of children's books which have enjoyed huge international success she now writes fiction for adults as well fifth Robert Louis Stevenson he wrote books which are still read by adults and children today his most famous books include Treasure Island kidnapped and dr. Jekyll and mr. Hyde next topic of this chapter is leisure people in the UK spend their leisure time in many different ways first gardening a lot of people have gardens at home and will spend their free time looking after them some people rent additional land called an allotment where they grow fruit and vegetables gardening and flower shows range from major national exhibitions to small local events many towns have garden centres selling plants and gardening equipment there are famous gardens to visit throughout the UK including Kew Gardens sissing Hirst and hid cat in England kraid's castle and Inveraray castle in scotland bodhnath garden in Wales and Mount Stewart in Northern Ireland second shopping there are many different places to go shopping in the UK most towns and cities have a central shopping area which is called the town centre undercover shopping centres are also common these might be in town centres or on the outskirts of a town or city most shops in the UK are open 7 days a week although trading hours on Sundays and public holidays are generally reduced 3rd cooking and food many people in the UK enjoy cooking they often invite each other to their homes for dinner a wide variety of food is eaten in the UK because of the country's rich cultural heritage and diverse population there are a variety of foods that are traditionally associated with different parts of the UK first in England roast beef which is served with potatoes vegetables Yorkshire puddings better that is baked in the oven and other accompaniments fish and chips are also popular second in wales welsh cakes a traditional Welsh snack made from flour dried fruits and spices and served either hot or cold 3 Rd and Scotland haggis a sheep's stomach stuffed with offal suet onions and oatmeal fourth Northern Ireland Ulster fry a fried meal with bacon eggs sausage black pudding white pudding tomatoes mushrooms soda bread and potato bread fourth social networking social networking websites such as Facebook and Twitter are a popular way for people to stay in touch with friends organize social events and share photos videos and opinions many people use social networking on their mobile phones went out and about YouTube and LinkedIn is also famous in UK v pubs and nightclubs public houses pubs are an important part of the UK social culture many people enjoy meeting friends in the pub most communities will have a local pub that is a natural focal point for social activities pub quizzes are popular pubs are usually open during the day from 11:00 a.m. 12:00 noon on Sundays nightclubs with dancing and music usually open and close later than pubs the licensee decides the hours that the pub or nightclub is open sixth bedding and gambling in the UK people often enjoy a gamble on sports or other events there are also casinos in many places you have to be 18 to go into betting shops or gambling clubs there is a national lottery for which drawers are made every week you can enter by buying a ticket or a scratch card people under 16 are not allowed to participate in the National Lottery seventh pets a lot of people in the UK have pets such as cats or dogs they might have them for company or because they enjoy looking after them all dogs in public places must wear a collar showing the name and address of the owner the owner is responsible for keeping the dog under control and for cleaning up after the animal in a public place vaccinations and medical treatment for animals are available from veterinary surgeons vets the last topic of this chapter is places of interest the UK has a large network of public footpaths in the countryside there are also many opportunities for mountain biking mountaineering and Hill walking there are 15 national parks in England Wales and Scotland they are areas of protected countryside that everyone can visit and where people live work and look after the landscape there are many museums in the UK which range from small community museums to large national and civic collections famous landmarks exist in towns cities and the countryside throughout the UK most of them are open to the public to view generally for a charge UK landmarks first London Eye the London Eye is situated on the southern bank of the River Thames and is a ferris wheel that is 443 feet tall it was originally built as part of the UK's celebration of the new millennium and continues to be an important part of New Year celebrations second Snowdonia Snowdonia is a national park in north wales it covers an area of 838 square miles it's most well-known landmark is Snowdon which is the highest mountain in Wales third the Eden Project the Eden Project is located in porn wall in the southwest of England it's biomes which are like giant greenhouses house plants from all over the world the Eden Project is also a charity which runs environmental and social projects internationally fourth Big Ben Big Ben is the nickname for the great Bell of the clock at the houses of parliament in London many people call the clock Big Ben as well the clock is over 150 years old and is a popular tourist attraction the clock tower is named Elizabeth tower in honor of Queen Elizabeth the second diamond jubilee in 2012 next chapter of this course is the UK government the law and your role in this chapter you will learn how the UK is governed you need to understand the Queen's role in a government and her powers make sure you understand how people are appointed to the two houses of parliament and the specific roles detailed such as the speaker and cabinet and your rights to vote and stand for election in this chapter there is information about Britain as a constitutional monarchy how Parliament works elections the government and the opposition devolved administration's of the UK the Commonwealth EU UN and NATO British Law and Justice the courts fundamental principles and rights tax driving community work and getting involved the first topic of this chapter is the British constitution the development of British democracy democracy is a system of government where the whole adult population gets a say this might be by direct voting or by choosing representatives to make decisions on their behalf in the 1830s and 1840s a group called the Chartists campaigned for reform they wanted six changes first for every man to have the vote second elections every year third for all regions to be equal in the electoral system fourth secret ballots fifth for any man to be able to stand as an MP sixth for MPS to be paid at the time the campaign was generally seen as a failure however by 1918 most of these reforms had been adopted the voting franchise was also extended to women over 30 and then in 1928 two men and women over 21 in 1969 the voting age was reduced to 18 for men and women constitutional institutions in the UK there are several different parts of government the main ones are first the monarchy second Parliament third the prime minister fourth the cabinet fifth the judiciary courts sixth the police seventh the civil service eighth local government the monarchy queen elizabeth ii is the head of state of the UK she is also the monarch or head of state for many countries in the Commonwealth the UK has a constitutional monarchy this means that the king or queen does not rule the country but appoints the government which the people have chosen in a democratic election the monarch invites the leader of the party with the largest number of MPs or the leader of a coalition between more than one party to become the prime minister the monarch has regular meetings with the Prime Minister and can advise warn and encourage but the decisions on government policies are made by the Prime Minister and cabinet the national anthem the national anthem of the UK is god save the queen it is played at important national occasions and at events attended by the Queen or the royal family the first verse says God save our gracious Queen long live our noble Queen god save the queen send her victorious happy and glorious long to reign over us god save the queen new citizens swear or affirm loyalty to the Queen as part of a citizenship ceremony both of allegiance I named swear by Almighty God that on becoming a British citizen I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the second her heirs and successors according to law affirmation of allegiance I name do solemnly sincerely and truly declare and affirm that on becoming a British citizen I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the second her heirs and successors according to law next we will discuss about system of government the system of government in the UK is a parliamentary democracy the UK is divided into parliamentary constituencies voters in each constituency elect their Member of Parliament in a general election all of the elected MPs form the House of Commons most tempies belong to a political party and the party with a majority of MPs forms the government the House of Commons the House of Commons is regarded as the more important of the two chambers in Parliament because its members our democratically elected MPs have a number of different responsibilities they represent everyone in their constituency they help to create new laws they scrutinize and comment on what the government is doing they debate important national issues the House of Lords members of the House of Lords known as peers are not elected by the people and do not represent a constituency the role and membership of the House of Lords has changed over the last 50 years until 1958 all peers were hereditary which means they inherited their title or senior judges or bishops of the Church of England the speaker debates in the House of Commons are chaired by the speaker this person is the chief officer of the House of Commons the speaker is neutral and does not represent a political party even though he or she is an MP represents a constituency and deals with constituents problems like any other MP the speaker is chosen by other MPs in a secret ballot elections MPs are elected at a general election which is held at least every five years if an MP dies or resigns there will be a fresh election called a by-election in his or her constituency MPs are elected through a system called first-past-the-post in each constituency the candidate who gets the most votes is elected the government is usually formed by the party that wins the majority of constituencies if no party wins a majority two parties may join together to form a coalition contacting elected members all elected members have a duty to serve and represent their constituents you can get contact details for all your representatives and their parties from your local library and from wwp parliament UK MPs Assembly members members of the Scottish Parliament and MEP s are also listed in the phone book published by BT and in yellow pages the next topic of this chapter is the government the Prime Minister the Prime Minister PM is the leader of the political party in power he or she appoints the members of the cabinet and has control over many important public appointments the official home of the Prime Minister is 10 Downing Street in central London near the houses of parliament he or she also has a country house outside London called checkers the cabinet the Prime Minister appoints about 20 senior MPs to become ministers in charge of departments these include Chancellor of the Exchequer responsible for the economy Home Secretary responsible for crime policing and immigration Foreign Secretary responsible for managing relationships with foreign countries other ministers called secretaries of state responsible for subjects such as education health and defence the opposition the second largest party in the House of Commons is called the Opposition the leader of the Opposition usually becomes Prime Minister if his or her party wins the next general election the leader of the Opposition leads his or her party in pointing out what they see is the government's failures and weaknesses one important opportunity to do this is at Prime Minister's Questions which takes place every week while Parliament is sitting the leader of the Opposition also appoints senior opposition MPs to be shadow ministers they form the shadow cabinet and their role is to challenge the government and put forward alternative policies the party system anyone aged 18 or over can stand for election as an MP but they are unlikely to win unless they have been nominated to represent one of the major political parties these are the Conservative Party the Labour Party the Liberal Democrats or one of the parties representing Scottish Welsh or Northern Irish interests there are a few MPs who do not represent any of the main political parties they are called independence and usually represent an issue important to their constituency the main political parties actively looked for members of the public to join their debates contribute to their costs and help at elections for Parliament or for local government they have branches in most constituencies and hold policymaking conferences every year local government towns cities and rural areas in the UK are governed by democratically did counsels often called local authorities some areas have both district and county councils which have different functions local authorities provide a range of services in their areas they are funded by money from central government and by local taxes many local authorities appoint ameer who is the ceremonial leader of the council in some towns a mayor is elected to be the effective leader of the administration who can vote the UK has had a fully democratic voting system since 1928 the present voting age of 18 was set in 1969 end with a few exceptions all UK born and naturalized adult citizens have the right to vote adult citizens of the UK and citizens of the Commonwealth and the Irish Republic who are resident in the UK can vote in all public elections adult citizens of other EU states who are resident in the UK can vote in all elections except general elections the Electoral Register to be able to vote in a parliamentary local or European election you must have your name on the electoral register if you are eligible to vote you can register by contacting your local council electoral registration office this is usually based at your local council in Scotland it may be based elsewhere if you don't know which local authority you come under you can find out by visiting www.disabilitydenials.com for Northern Ireland website at www.kppc.org/keeps dural registration office or council office in England and Wales it is also possible to see the register at some public buildings such as libraries where to vote people vote in elections at places called polling stations or polling places in Scotland before the election you will be sent a poll card this tells you where your polling station or polling places and when the election will take place on Election Day the polling station or place will be open from 7:00 a.m. until 10:00 p.m. when you arrive at the polling station the staff will ask for your name and address in Northern Ireland you will also have to show photographic identification you will then get your ballot paper which you take to a polling booth to fill in privately you should make up your own mind who to vote for no one has the right to make you vote for a particular candidate you should follow the instructions on the ballot paper once you have completed it put it in the ballot box if it is difficult for you to get to a polling station or polling place you can register for a postal ballot your ballot paper will be sent to your home before the election you then fill it in and post it back you can choose to do this when you register to vote standing for office most citizens of the UK the Irish Republic or the Commonwealth aged 18 or over can stand for public office there are some exceptions including members of the Armed Forces civil servants people found guilty of certain criminal offences members of the House of Lords may not stand for election to the House of Commons but are eligible for all other public offices next topic of this chapter is the UK and international institutions the Commonwealth the Commonwealth is an association of countries that support each other and work together towards shared goals and democracy and development most member states were once part of the British Empire although a few countries which were not have also joined the Commonwealth is based on the core values of democracy good government and the rule of law the Commonwealth comprises 54 countries across all continents some of the Commonwealth members are Antigua and Barbuda Australia India South Africa Kenya United Kingdom next topic of this chapter is the European Union the European Union originally called the European Economic Community was set up by six Western European countries who signed the Treaty of Rome on March 25th 1957 the UK originally decided not to join this group but it became a member in 1973 there are now 27 EU member states Croatia will also become a member state in 2013 some of the European Union member states are United Kingdom Australia Belgium Sweden Germany Ireland Northern Europe Austria the Council of Europe the Council of Europe is separate from the European Union it has 47 member countries including the UK and is responsible for the protection and promotion of human rights in those countries it has no power to make laws but draws up conventions and charters the most well-known of which is the european convention on human rights and fundamental freedoms usually called the European Convention on Human Rights next the United Nations the UK is part of the United Nations an international organization with more than 190 countries as members the UN was set up after the Second World War and aims to prevent war and promote international peace and security there are 15 members on the UN Security Council which recommends action when there are international crises and threats to peace the UK is one of five permanent members of the Security Council the North Atlantic Treaty Organization the UK is also a member of NATO NATO is a group of European and North American countries that have agreed to help each other if they come under attack it also aims to maintain peace between all of its members next topic of this chapter is respecting the law the law in the UK every person in the UK receives equal treatment under the law this means that the law applies in the same way to everyone no matter who they are or where they are from criminal law relates to crimes which are usually investigated by the police or another authorities such as a Council and which are punished by the courts civil law is used to settle disputes between individuals or groups examples of criminal laws are carrying a weapon it is a criminal offence to carry a weapon of any kind even if it is for self-defence drugs selling or buying drugs such as heroin cocaine ecstasy and cannabis is illegal in the UK racial crime it is a criminal offence to cause harassment alarm or distress to someone because of their religion or ethnic origin selling tobacco it is illegal to sell tobacco products for example cigarettes cigars roll up tobacco to anyone under the age of 18 smoking in public places it is against the law to smoke tobacco products and nearly every enclosed public place in the UK buying alcohol it is a criminal offence to sell alcohol to anyone who is under 18 or to buy alcohol for people who are under the age of 18 examples of civil laws are housing law this includes disputes between landlords and tenants over issues such as repairs and eviction consumer rights an example of this is a dispute about faulty goods or services employment law these cases include disputes over wages and cases of unfair dismissal or discrimination in the workplace debt people might be taken to court if they owe money to someone the police and their duties the job of the police in the UK is to protect life and property prevent disturbances also known as keeping the peace prevent and detect crime the police are organized into a number of separate police forces headed by Constable's they are independent of the government the police forces a public service that helps and protects everyone no matter what their background or where they live police officers must themselves obey the law they must not misuse their authority make a false statement be rude or abusive or commit racial discrimination if police officers are corrupt or misuse their authority they are severely punished if something goes wrong the police complaints system tries to put it right anyone can make a complaint about the police by going to a police station or writing to the Chief Constable of the police force involved complaints can also be made to an independent body the Independent Police Complaints Commission in England and Wales the police complaints Commissioner for Scotland or the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland terrorism and extremism the UK faces a range of terrorist threats the most serious of these is from al-qaeda its affiliates and like-minded organisations the UK also faces threats from other kinds of terrorism such as Northern Ireland related terrorism all terrorist groups try to radicalize and recruit people to their cause how where and to what extent they try to do so will very evidence shows that these groups attract very low levels of public support but people who wanted to make their home in the UK should be aware of this threat it is important that all citizens feel safe this includes feeling safe from all kinds of extremism vocal or active opposition to fundamental British values including religious extremism and far-right extremism if you think someone is trying to persuade you to join an extremist or terrorist cause you should notify your local police force the role of the courts the judiciary judges who are together called the judiciary are responsible for interpreting the law and ensuring that trials are conducted fairly the government cannot interfere with this sometimes the actions of the government are claimed to be illegal if the judges agree then the government must either change its policies or ask Parliament to change the law if judges find that a public body is not respecting someone's legal rights they can order that body to change its practices and/or pay compensation judges also make decisions in disputes between members of the public or organizations these might be about contracts property for employment rights or after an accident criminal courts magistrates and justice of the peace courts in England Wales and Northern Ireland most minor criminal cases are dealt with in a magistrate's court in Scotland minor criminal offenses go to a justice of the peace court magistrates and justices of the peace JPS are members of the local community magistrates decide the verdict in each case that comes before them and if the person is found guilty the sentence that they are given in Northern Ireland cases are heard by a district judge or Deputy District Judge crowned courts and sheriff courts in England Wales and Northern Ireland serious offenses are tried in front of a judge in the jury in a Crown Court in Scotland serious cases are heard in a sheriff Court with either a sheriff or a sheriff with a jury the most serious cases in Scotland such as murder are heard at a High Court with a judge and jury a jury is made up of members of the public chosen at random from the local Electoral Register in England Wales in Northern Ireland a jury has 12 members and in Scotland a jury has 15 members everyone who is summoned to do jury service must do it unless they are not eligible for example because they have a criminal conviction or they provide a good reason to be excused such as ill health the jury has to listen to the evidence presented at the trial and then decide a verdict of guilty or not guilty based on what they have heard in Scotland a third verdict of not proven is also possible if the jury finds the defendant guilty the judge decides on the penalty civil courts County Courts County courts deal with a wide range of civil disputes these include people trying to get back money that is owed to them cases involving personal injury family matters breaches of contract and divorce in Scotland most of these matters are dealt with in the sheriff court more serious civil cases for example when a large amount of compensation is being claimed are dealt with in the High Court in England Wales and Northern Ireland in Scotland they are dealt with in the Court of Session in Edinburgh the small claims procedure the small claims procedure is an informal way of helping people to settle minor disputes without spending a lot of time and money using a lawyer this procedure is used for claims of less than five thousand pounds in England and Wales and three thousand pounds in Scotland and Northern Ireland the hearing is held in front of a judge in an ordinary room and people from both sides of the dispute sit around a table legal advice solicitors solicitors are trained lawyers who give advice on legal matters take action for their clients and represent their clients in court there are solicitors offices throughout the UK it is important to find out which aspects of law a solicitor specialises in and to check that they have the right experience to help you with your case many advertise in local newspapers and in yellow pages the Citizens Advice bureaux can give you names of local solicitors and which areas of law they specialise in the next topic of this chapter is fundamental principles Britain has a long history of respecting and individuals rights and ensuring essential freedoms these rights have their roots in Magna Carta the habeas Corpus Act and a Bill of Rights of 1689 and they have developed over a period of time British diplomats and lawyers had an important role in drafting the European Convention on Human Rights and fundamental freedoms the UK was one of the first countries to sign the convention in 1950 some of the principles included in the European Convention on Human Rights our first right to life second prohibition of torture third prohibition of slavery and forced labour fourth right to liberty and security fifth right to a fair trial sixth freedom of thought conscience and religion next equal opportunities UK laws ensure that people are not treated unfairly in any area of life or work because of their age disability sex pregnancy and maternity race religion or belief sexuality or marital status if you face problems with discrimination you can get more information from the Citizens Advice Bureau or from one of the following organizations first England and Wales equality and human rights commission second Scotland equality and Human Rights Commission in Scotland and Scottish Human Rights Commission third Northern Ireland Equality Commission for Northern Ireland fourth Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission domestic violence in the UK brutality and violence in the home is a serious crime anyone who is violent towards their partner whether they are a man or woman married or living together can be prosecuted any man who forces a woman to have sex including a woman's husband can be charged with rape there are emergency telephone numbers in the help lines section at the front of yellow pages including for women the number of the nearest Women's Centre you can also phone the 24-hour national domestic violence free phone helpline on zero eight zero eight two zero zero zero two four seven at any time for the police can help you find a safe place to stay forced marriage a marriage should be entered into with the full and free consent of both people involved arranged marriages where both parties agree to the marriage are acceptable in the UK forced marriage is where one or both parties do not or cannot give their consent to enter into the partnership forcing another person to marry is a criminal offence a potential victim or someone acting for them can apply for an order anyone found to have breached an order can be jailed for up to two years for contempt of court taxation first income tax people in the UK have to pay tax on their income which includes wages from paid employment profits from self-employment taxable benefits pensions income from property savings and dividends money raised from income tax pays for government services such as roads education police in the Armed Forces second national insurance almost everybody in the UK who is in paid work including self-employed people must pay National Insurance Contributions the money raised from national insurance contributions is used to pay for state benefits and services such as the state retirement pension in the National Health Service and chess last topic of this chapter is your role in the community values and responsibilities 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 values and responsibilities 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 to vote in local and national government elections being a good neighbor when you move into a new house or apartment introduce yourself to the people who live near you getting to know your neighbors can help you to become part of the community and make friends your neighbors are also a good source of help for example they may be willing to feed your pets if you are away or offer advice on local shops and services you can help prevent any problems and conflicts with your neighbors by respecting their privacy and limiting how much noise you make also try to keep your garden tidy and only put your refuse bags and bins on the street or in communal areas if they are due to be collected getting involved in local activities 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 it also helps you to fulfil your duties as a citizen such as behaving responsibly on helping others how you can support your community jury service 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 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 organize events to raise money for extra equipment or out of school active 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 organized by parent-teacher associations PTAs volunteering to help with their events for 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 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 a 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 a member of parliament or the devolved equivalents or a member of the european parliament 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 an eligible Commonwealth citizen or accept for standing to be an MP a citizen of another EU country 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 and decisions about the way in which they work universities housing associations museums and Arts Council's may advertise for people to serve as volunteers in their governing bodies you can volunteer with the police and become a special constable oral a 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.kppc.org/keeps 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 WWE UK rest of Wales ww-well or UK Scotland w w Scott Blue Coat UK Northern Ireland WWMT org 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 could I you can register to be an organ donor at WWE organ donation NHS UK living people can also donate a kidney 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 WWE cycling accom at this website you can also find out what you can recycle at home and in the local area if you live in England this information is available for Wales at www-wait awareness wallahs or UK for Scotland a WWI cycle for Scotland calm and for Northern Ireland from your local authority

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Published: Mon Feb 24 2020