Active Citizens Hub - Ways to be Active

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Ways to be Active

There are so many ways to Get Active in Southwark, big and small. To help to describe how people can get involved in being an Active Citizen in Southwark we have classified them into six different ways:

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.

MANAGED VOLUNTEER

Many voluntary organisations and statutory services involve volunteers as part of their team to better enable their organisation to provide services to the community. For example, many charities involve volunteers in roles ranging from desk administration and website design to running arts and craft classes for children and befriending schemes.

CONSULTED CITIZEN/VIEW-GIVER

One of the ways many individuals will be active citizens is through communicating with organisations such as Southwark Council, Southwark Primary Care Trust, and Transport for London. Public bodies like these want to involve people and communities in improving the planning and delivery of the services they provide and so they often consult people by asking what they think.

COMMUNITY ACTIVIST

The community activist initiates action to achieve something they want to change regardless of whether anyone is seeking their input. For example, this may involve setting up a campaign, organising a network, getting a group together or setting up discussion forums. They may write to their MP, lobby public service providers and other organisations to influence what they do. It may involve creating posters, information stalls and banners in the street.

COMMUNITY GROUP MEMBER

This is someone who is part of either an organised community group or an informal collection of people who come together for a purpose or unite around an issue. For example, citizens may be part of a regular playgroup to which they bring their children, or attend an art club. They may get together to help people with gardening, organise coffee mornings, help run a local scouts or guides group or assist in the organisation of an informal self-help group.

GOOD NEIGHBOUR

A good neighbour is someone who responds to the needs of friends, acquaintances or those they meet in the course of their daily life. For example, looking after a pet and watering the plants when a neighbour is on holiday, doing the shopping for someone in their street who is unable to get out, or helping a neighbour to get the right information to be able to better access a public service.