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Year 11

What roles do NGOs, charities and civil society play in local communities?

I can explain the contribution that NGOs, charities and civil society make to local communities.

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New
New
Year 11

What roles do NGOs, charities and civil society play in local communities?

I can explain the contribution that NGOs, charities and civil society make to local communities.

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These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Civil society includes voluntary & community organistions that work independently of the government to improve society.
  2. Civil society supports through relief, aid and upholding rights.
  3. Civil society holds power through research, campaigning and lobbying.

Keywords

  • Charity - a group that supports those in need by providing direct help, giving information or raising the profile of a particular issue

  • Non-governmental organisation - a non-profit, voluntary group of citizens who work on a local, national or international level to achieve an aim; they are not controlled by the government, but will often work closely with them

Common misconception

Civil society, NGOs and charities are all the same thing.

They are interlinked and might have common goals but work and run in different ways.


To help you plan your year 11 citizenship lesson on: What roles do NGOs, charities and civil society play in local communities?, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

Use relevant local examples of civil society that pupils will know to help them think about the power and difference they have made to their local areas.
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Content guidance

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Supervision

Adult supervision recommended

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Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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6 Questions

Q1.
Match the word to its definition.
Correct Answer:election,a voting process to choose a representative
tick

a voting process to choose a representative

Correct Answer:local council,a system of government that provides services to the local community
tick

a system of government that provides services to the local community

Correct Answer:electorate,the people who are eligible to vote in an election
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the people who are eligible to vote in an election

Correct Answer:manifesto,a set of aims and plans written by a political party
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a set of aims and plans written by a political party

Q2.
To participate in a general election, the electorate must be to vote.
Correct Answer: registered
Q3.
The Prime Minister calls for a general election and requests the __________ to dissolve Parliament.
Correct answer: monarch
leader of the opposition
speaker of the house
general public
Q4.
Which of the following services is not typically provided by local councils?
education
transport
Correct answer: national defence
waste mangement
Q5.
How do local councils get money for their budgets?
only through council tax
Correct answer: from a mix of government funding, council tax and business rates
only from grants
from personal donations by local residents
Q6.
Local councils have the power to make decisions on which of the following?
Correct answer: byelaws
Correct answer: planning applications
immigration

6 Questions

Q1.
Which of these is an example of civil society?
Correct answer: a local charity providing food to homeless people
a police department enforcing laws
a business selling products for profit
a government department managing healthcare
Q2.
When organisations try to influence politicians or officials to change policies, this is called ...
Correct Answer: lobbying
Q3.
How does civil society support people?
Correct answer: by providing aid and protecting rights
by creating new government laws
by running businesses for profit
by controlling public services like hospitals and schools
Q4.
How do civil society organisations influence decisions?
by voting in elections
Correct answer: by researching, campaigning and lobbying
by creating new laws in Parliament
by collecting taxes
Q5.
Which of these statements is true about non-governmental organisations (NGOs)?
they are part of the government
Correct answer: they are voluntary groups that work towards a cause
they aim to make a profit
they only work in one country
Q6.
Match the term to its correct definition.
Correct Answer:voluntary group ,a group of people who work together without being paid
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a group of people who work together without being paid

Correct Answer:charity,an organisation that provides help and raises awareness
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an organisation that provides help and raises awareness

Correct Answer:social action,efforts by individuals or groups to bring about change
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efforts by individuals or groups to bring about change