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SOUTHWARK STORY

Bev Thomas has been a local Lay Magistrate or Justice of the Peace (J.P) for the last ten years or so and is a bench member for both Tower Bridge and Camberwell Magistrates Courts. She is a mentor for new magistrates and conducts appraisals for existing ones. In the past, she also served as a School Governor for her children’s school and this enabled her to have a say in how things were done.

“I am able to bring my local knowledge and experiences to the court system and this ensures that local views are considered when dealing with each case.”

 

 

  

Citizen Governor

A citizen governor is a citizen who advises or makes decisions about a public service. For example, someone may be a school governor, charity trustee, lay magistrate or be on a management committee, tenants panel or regeneration board.

On this page you can find out more about being a:

School Governor
Lay Magistrate
Charity Trustee or Committee Group Member

SCHOOL GOVERNOR

If you would like to make a difference to children’s lives by helping them to realise their aspirations and expectations then volunteering as a school governor is a great way to do so. An effective governing body is a source of enormous strength to a school, making decisions on all kinds of issues such as the expansion of knowledge and resource, the type of change, the implications of faith, race and language and the influence of new technology.

You do not need to be a parent, a particular kind of person or even to know about education to become a school governor - schools need governors who reflect the diversity of the local community.

More information
Click here to go to Southwark Council's section on becoming a school governor with details on how to apply.

Click here to visit the national School Governors' One Stop Shop.

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LAY MAGISTRATE

Lay magistrates make life-changing decisions every day - decisions that affect the lives of every defendant and, ultimately, everyone in the community. They don't have any special qualifications and are volunteers. They deal with the less serious criminal cases like minor theft, motoring and public order offences. They may also deal with a range of non-criminal issues affecting families and children, or with licensing applications from betting shops and gaming clubs. In each case they consider the evidence and reach a verdict.

Free Training
Are you interested in finding out more about the role of a magistrate and how to become one? We run regular interactive 'Becoming a Magistrate' sessions using case-studies for a real taste of life as a magistrate. Check our training calendar for upcoming dates.

You can also find more information at www.magistrates.gov.uk.

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CHARITY TRUSTEE OR MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE MEMBER

Trustees and management committee members play a vital role in our local voluntary sector. Their contribution of time and expertise, ensure that much valuable work can take place locally. They have an active active role in the governance of the organisation, making the big decisions about the future, ensuring that the work of the charity is carried out, that everything is legal and safe and supporting the head of staff.

Free Training
We run regular 'Becoming a Trustee' sessions which give an introduction to the role of a trustee and how you can get involved as well as a variety of other training which could help you gain skills useful to the role. Check our training calendar for upcoming dates.

Trustees Network

Southwark Trustee Network
We also support a Southwark Trustee Network which meets every three months and gives trustees and management committee members the opportunity to meet, network, share skills and support each other.

Finding an opportunity
You can search for opportunities in Southwark through www.do-it.org.uk or download a registration form from our registration page.

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For more information about becoming a citizen governor please contact us on (020) 7403 2936 or e-mail us.