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Information View Map
Information for Adults
News in many Languages
-Working in the UK
--Asylum Seekers
--Volunteering
--Refugees
--Migrant Workers
-Immigration: removals
Information for young people
-Info nation
-ChildLine Cymru/Wales
- Welsh Young Volunteers
Communication
-News
-Post
-Phone
---Understanding Telephone numbers
---Landline vendors
---Mobile phones
---Skype
-Internet
---Internet vendors
---Internet Cafes
---Libraries
Day-to-day life
-TV Licence
-Taxing your Vehicle
-Information about the tides
-Freecycle
-Recycling
Other Helpful websites and Welcome packs
-The Welsh Assembly's welcome Pack
-The Improvement & Development Agency
-The Welcome to Norfolk website
-The Partnership development Project
-Localview for Swansea
-Swansea Tourist Information Centre
Information for Adults
Also There is a website offering on line newspapers from all over the world:
www.onlinenewspapers.com
Working in the UK
Asylum Seekers
Asylum seekers are not permitted to do paid work in Wales. However there are several organisations which organise voluntary work for asylum seekers. Have a look at the following for more information on voluntary work in swansea:
Volunteering
Swansea Council for Voluntary Service (SCVS) is the umbrella organisation for voluntary activity throughout the City & County of Swansea, supporting, developing and representing voluntary organisations, volunteers and communities. For further information and advice on which volunteer jobs might be suitable have a look at the following website: http://www.scvs.org.uk or go to the S.C.V.S. office, Voluntary Action Centre, 7 Walter Road, Swansea SA1 5NF. Tel: 01792 544000
Also, there are a number of organisations which run projects to give asylum seekers the opportunity of voluntary work, these include Oxfam and the British Red Cross. The South Wales Evening Post has information about volunteering on a Wednesday. You can also check out the Volunteering Wales website which has a range of opportunities right across the Swansea Bay and wider Wales area at http://www.volunteering-wales.net/
Look at our Volunteering section for some examples of possible opportunities.
Refugees
Refugees can find information about work opportunities through local newspapers, private employment agencies or by visiting a government operated Job Centre Plus office. To find a Job Centre in Swansea go to www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk or http://www.jobs1.co.uk/
Advice on work and careers opportunities is available on the Careers Wales website https://www.careerswales.com/home.asp?language=English
Migrant Workers
This information has been taken from the Welsh Assembly's pack for Migrant Workers
that can be found in many languages
http://new.wales.gov.uk/topics/housingandcommunity/communitycohesion/publications/welcometowales/?lang=en
British citizens and many other nationals of the European Economic Area (EEA) do not need permission to work in the UK. EEA and Swiss nationals do not require a visa to enter the UK. On arrival in the UK, you should use the ‘EEA/EU’ channel where is it available. An Immigration Officer will check the validity of your passport or national identity card.
You do not require a work permit to work in the UK. You should not be discriminated against in terms of conditions of employment, pay or working conditions. You may be self-employed, or an employee of a company or organisation.
Citizens of all other countries need to have permission to enter and work in the UK.
However, in all circumstances we advise that before you travel to the UK you should check if there are any restriction on you being able to work.
You must register with the Home Office Worker Registration Scheme if you are from one of the New Member States (normally known and the Accession countries or the A8 countries):
Candidates searching for work from the A8 countries must have sufficient funds to support themselves whilst they look for work in the UK.
Nationals from countries outside the EEA can also come and work in Wales, but they must meet the criteria for a Work Permit or one of the schemes available to people wanting to come to the UK. The stamp in your passport will identify whether you are allowed to work in the UK.
You should note there are unscrupulous agents who will not provide you with accurate information on your entitlement to work in the UK. They are only interested in charging you a fee and may make promises that they cannot keep. You should always get independent advice from the British Consulate/Embassy/ High Commission before taking up an offer of employment in the UK.
Detailed information can be found on:
The UK Border Agency website: http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/workingintheuk/ or phone 0870 606 7766 (automated system)
There is a minimum wage agreement in the UK. For more information look at http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/nmw/#a
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www.migrantgateway.eu/ - a multi-lingual website, providing access to information, advice and guidance for EU and non-EU nationals who already work and live, or would like to come to work and live, in the United Kingdom (UK).
Some local Jobs are listed in the Evening Post, the local newspaper, http://jobs.thisissouthwales.co.uk/ or you can visit your local Job Centre. To find a Job Centre in Swansea go to www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk or http://www.jobs1.co.uk/
Immigration: Removals [Collection of personal possessions]
Baroness Stern asked Her Majesty's Government: What arrangements are in place to ensure that those people found to be in the United Kingdom illegally and who are taken straight to police custody and thence to a port of embarkation in order to be removed from the United Kingdom are enabled to take their personal possessions with them.
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord West of Spithead): If someone is arrested in their home they are given sufficient time to pack a reasonable amount of luggage (determined by baggage flight allowances). If someone is arrested outside their home it is the responsibility of the local enforcement office to liaise with the departure port regarding arrangements for baggage delivery. Normally a minimum of 72 hours (including at least two working days) must be allowed between notification of removal directions to the person being removed and the removal itself. Immigration officers are instructed that although adequate time should be allowed for a person to obtain his baggage, not to delay removal unduly because of this.
Guidance on the retrieval of personal effects is available in the operational enforcement manual, a copy of which is available in the House Library and on the UK Border Agency website at http://www.ind.homeoffice.gov.uk/
Information for young people
 Info-Nation
Info-Nation offers ‘Information, advice and support for 11-25 year olds in Swansea’. Have a look on the Support and Advice section for more information on info-Nation.
ChildLine Cymru/Wales
ChildLine Cymru/Wales was launched in 1993 and has counselling centres in Swansea and Rhyl providing a free bilingual telephone helpline for children and young people across the whole of Wales. Since ChildLine Cymru/Wales’ launch in 1993, local children and young people have spoken to our counsellors about a wide range of problems, with the most common being bullying, sexual and physical abuse, and breakdowns in family relationships. Last year alone, our counsellors gave comfort, advice and support to more than 14,000 children and young people http://www.childline.org.uk
Youngsters from Wales who want to spend time abroad, volunteering & learning about another country look at www.myplatform2.com
Communication
News
The BBC web site has news in 33 languages http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/languages/
Post The price of stamps vary for country to country as well as for the size of your letter or parcel. To ensure you have the correct stamp, have a look at the postoffice website or drop into your local post office. Posting letters - Post boxes will have written on them the time of the last collection - usually once a day in Swansea. Late Post - if you have an urgent letter to post, after the last local collection, the Royal Mail Office at Siemens Way on the Enterprise Zone, Llansamlet is open Monday to Friday until 7.30. Saturday, Sunday & Bank Holidays open till 3.30 pm.
Phone
Understanding Telephone numbers - there is clear information about telephones on this web-site: http://www.lincolnshire.gov.uk/upload/public/attachments/766/WelcomeTelNo.pdf
Landline vendors: BT (Bristish telecom) is the dominant fixed line telecommunications and broadband Internet provider in the United Kingdom. However there are many others with as competitive prices. Have a look on Uswitch.com to see which provider is best for you.
Mobile phones: Mobile phones are small, convenient and often good value. Have a look on the review centre website to compare the different companies and to find a phone that suits you.
Skype: Talk, listen, watch, read, write to anyone, anywhere in the world without worrying about cost, distance or time. Check out Skype
Internet
Internet vendors: There are many internet vendors throughout Wales and the UK, some have cheaper rates than others and some are only available in certain areas. A broadband finder can be used to check and compare the internet vendors in your area.
Internet Cafes: There are several internet cafes in Swansea. Have a look on upmystreet website to find the nearest internet cafe to you.
Libraries: As well as free access to books, public libraries also provide other services. For details on libraries in Swansea go to: http://www.swansea.gov.uk/index.cfm?articleid=397
Look at our map to find your local library.
Remember: On your first visit to the library, bring 2 proofs of identity, both showing your address (one of which must have a photo) and you will be able to apply for membership and start accessing the services immediately. (This information has be taken from the Welsh Assembly's pack for Migrant Workers )
Day-to-day life
TV Licence
If you own a Television you will need to have a TV Licence. You can buy your licence here. If you are caught without one, you could get fined up to 1000 pounds.
Taxing your Vehicle
If you own a car and drive it, it is illegal not to have a license. Click here for more information: http://www.dvla.gov.uk/
Information about the TidesYou must have noticed how the water in Swansea bay is at a different level every time you look. Sometimes it looks as if someone pulled the plug out, other times the water is nearly over the top. We call this range, the tide. You will hear people talk about high tide and low tide. According to Wikipedia, Tides are the periodic rising and falling of Earth's ocean surface caused by the tidal forces of the Moon and the Sun acting on the oceans. Swansea Bay which is part of the upper reaches of the Bristol Channel experiences a world-class tidal range. It isn't the biggest range in the world (that honour belongs to the Bay of Fundy in Cananda apparently), nor even the biggest in Europe (Mont St. Michel in Normandy, France has 14.5m apparently), but with a maximum range of about 10m, it is still the one of the biggest in Europe. It is difficult to live along this coast and not notice the tide!
If you are going to the beach to swim or have a barbecue you need to check the tides, because at high tide on some beaches, like Caswell Beach the sea covers the sand, there is nowhere to sit. Also it is safer to swim when the tide is coming in. The time of the high tide changes every day by about half an hour. You can find the time of the tide in the local paper, The South Wales Evening Post, in the Information section or look here.
Freecycle For all of you who have cupboards, attics, sheds etc. full of unwanted items, this is a brilliant way of getting rid of them to good homes and not adding to the waste disposal crisis. Once you are a member you can just post all your unwanted items on the site and anyone who wants them will contact you to collect them. Everything they have put on there has gone within days – some within hours! And of course you can find things that you want on there too. Have a look http://freecycle.org It’s absolutely free!! For Swansea have a look on http://groups.yahoo.com/group/swansea-freecycle/ The Swansea Freecycle group matches people who have things they need to get rid of with people who can use them. Their goal is to keep usable items out of the landfill. By using what we already have on this earth, we reduce consumerism, manufacture fewer goods, and lessen the impact on the earth. Another benefit of using Freecycle is that it encourages us to get rid of junk that we no longer need and promote community involvement in the process. Begun on June 26 2005, the Swansea Freecycle group is a branch of an incredibly fast-growing international Freecycle movement, which began in Tucson, AZ on May 1st, 2003 and now boasts thousands of groups all over the world. Please help this group grow by spreading the word!
Recyling
Find out about recyling in Swansea, Swansea Council's Little Green Book is full of advice on what, where and how to recycle in Swansea. You can also find out about all our different collection schemes and what happens to your recyclables once they have been collected. A wealth of tips on how to minimise your waste makes this an essential guide http://www.swansea.gov.uk/index.cfm?articleid=20769
Other helpful websites and Welcome packs
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- The Improvement & Development Agency in England have produced a guide for producing information for migrant workers. The pack relates to UK Government policy and practice. The guidance has 4 parts: 1) A template for a migrant information pack, that local authorities and others can adapt (to local circumstances) when putting together packs; 2) Some material about existing information packs and good practice in producing them; 3) Resources for engaging stakeholders when producing information packs; and 4) Advice on monitoring and evaluating migrant information packs.
- The Welcome to Norfolk website - This website has specifc information for newcomers to Norfolk with some general information for newcomers to the UK
- The Partnership Development Project -This website has some very useful Asylum seeker and Refugee Links
- LocalView is an online map based system designed to enable you to search for and locate properties in the City and County of Swansea.
- Swansea Tourist Information Centre -This centre provides information on things to see and do in Swansea, Mumbles and Gower, events information and tickets, bus and train timetables, local crafts and souvenirs, maps and lots more! It is located on Plymouth Street, Opposite Quadrant Bus Station, Swansea. SA1 3QG.
Tel: 01792 468321
Email:
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Web: http://www.visitswanseabay.com/
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