Volunteering in the community

After deciding to submit an application, Emily underwent a rigorous selection process including multiple interviews, court visits, and providing character references. The whole process took more than a year, but she was eventually approved and was sworn in as a magistrate – also known as a Justice of the Peace (JP) – in 2019. 

Emily now sits regularly as part of a bench of three magistrates who hear criminal cases, weigh up the evidence, and decide a verdict and, if applicable, a sentence. Emily sees that as a “very big responsibility”, but it has also taught her how to listen carefully, think critically about evidence, and come to reasonable, balanced decisions. 

No legal qualifications are required to become a magistrate, but appointees are given thorough initial and ongoing training and the support of a legal advisor in court. Emily is keen that the magistracy should include people from a range of backgrounds and skillsets; “the more people in the community who are represented in the Court, the better the decisions that are made”, she says.

Magistrates are required to sit in court for 13 full days or 26 half-days per year. Emily normally sits for 13 days, and benefits from the 18 days of paid time off which The Open University offers colleagues to fulfil public commitments.

Emily’s advice to anyone thinking about becoming a magistrate? “Do it! You’re playing a big role in your community and a valuable role in the judiciary. If you find it doesn’t work for you or it’s not what you expected, you have the option to leave!”

Find out more and search for magistrate vacancies.

Through her work with this group, Becca developed her networks and started to become aware of other opportunities in the community. She became a governor of her local primary school, and a trustee of the Grange Pavilion, a community-owned space for visitors and residents to meet, relax, work, and have fun.

Through her various roles, Becca says she has developed a range of new skills, many of which she has been able to transfer to the workplace, and has built relationships and connections with new people throughout her immediate community and beyond. She also says she has grown in confidence and has been able to “learn to find the common ground, to talk to people about things that are quite tricky, where you don’t necessarily agree or have the same opinion – and being able to do that is valuable in all parts of your life”. 

Becca says she is the type of person who “can’t let things go when there’s always more to be done”. She estimates that she spends up to five hours per term on work as a school governor, a similar amount of time on her trustee responsibilities at the Grange Pavilion, and a few hours a month litter-picking plus time spent on organising the picks and meeting community partners. 

Her advice to anyone thinking about volunteering in the community? “First, decide what type of thing you’d like to do and what sort of time you can commit. Look for and contact relevant organisations to find out more, and speak to the people around you. But above all – just do it!” 

Find out more about volunteering opportunities in Wales. 

Her journey to becoming a councillor started when she got involved with a campaign against the demolition of a prominent and well-loved building in her town to make way for new housing. Although the campaign was ultimately unsuccessful, it gave Helen a taste of campaigning for and with her fellow residents – and also brought her to the attention of the local council, who quickly started asking her to get more involved in their work. “And the rest is history”, she says. 

Being a councillor has given Helen a fresh perspective on her community, and she says what keeps her motivated to stay involved is the joy she gets from working with all kinds of different people who live and work in the town. “It’s also about giving back”, she’s quick to add. 

Town councillors don’t always have to undergo an election – if there are more vacancies than there are candidates, as is often the case. It’s a big undertaking; Helen spends at least a few days on councillor duties every month, with peaks and troughs at different times of the year. “Christmastime is busy, attending community concerts, supporting late-night shopping initiatives, and seeing Santa when he comes to visit!” 

Her advice to anyone thinking they might be interested in becoming a councillor? “Anyone can do it! You won’t be alone – you’ll be in a team of other councillors. Be realistic about what you’re able to commit but definitely give it a go.” 

Find out more about community and town councils and search vacancies.