Welcome to Leicestershire - Leicestershire Together

Part A 

General Information about Leicestershire and the UK 

7 - 28 

About Leicestershire 8 - 9 

Who lives in Leicestershire 10 

The Political System in the UK 11 

Local Government in Leicestershire 13 

Laws in the UK 14 

Money in the UK 17 

Customs and Traditions 22 

Belief and Religion 26 

Part B - Emergency Information 29 - 34 

Part C - Work 35 - 46 

Part D - Benefits and Legal Advice 47 - 50 

Contents 

Part E - Housing 51 - 56 

Part F - Health 57 - 70 

Part G - Children and Education 71 - 82 

Part H - Older People 83 - 86 

Part I - Travel in Leicestershire 87 - 94 

Part J - Leisure in Leicestershire 95 - 104 

Part K - Asylum Seekers 105 - 107 

More Information 108 - 109 

Final Comments 110 - 111

Welcome to Leicestershire 

We are delighted that you have chosen to live and/or 

work in Leicestershire, Leicester City or Rutland. We 

have produced this pack of information to help you 

to settle in as quickly as possible - we hope you find 

it useful! 

The Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) Citizens’ 

Jury, organised by Leicestershire Together in 

2005, identified information and communication 

as two key issues of concern to ethnic minority 

communities in both the County of Leicestershire 

and the City of Leicester. We know that people 

in need of services can struggle to identify who 

to talk to and who does what! Nationally, local 

authorities and other organisations have produced 

guides and information booklets to their respective 

areas, principally with economic migrant workers 

in mind. One of the best and most informative of 

these has been produced by the Cornwall Strategic 

Partnership. We were given permission to use a lot 

of their information in this document and we are 

tremendously grateful to them for their support and 

assistance. 

Another important source of guidance and 

information has been the guide for local authorities 

entitled ‘Integrating New Migrants: Communicating 

Important Information’. This was produced by 

I&DeA (the Improvement and Development Agency 

for Local Government) and is intended to help 

anyone wishing to put together their own document. 

Though we had already produced our initial drafts 

we have, nevertheless, checked the document and 

included bits in it that were not originally included 

in our own. 

We have tried to produce a document that is 

relevant to people living in Leicester, Leicestershire 

and Rutland, with sources of local and national help 

and information. We have tried to ensure that the 

information is correct and up-to-date, but things can 

change quite rapidly. Please point out our mistakes 

so that they can be rectified. Please also let us know 

if you would like to see other subjects included 

in future editions. Contact 

jnharrison@leics.gov.uk with 

comments/ammendments. 

The document is in different 

sections. Part A covers 

general information about 

General 

Part A - General Information about Leicesterhire and the UK 

I n f o r m a t i o n 

Leicestershire, including the 

strucure of local government, 

Laws, Money, Customs and 

Traditions and Belief and 

Religion. 

Parts B to K cover key information that you 

will need to know including What to do in an 

Emergency, Work, Benefits and Benefits Advice, 

Housing, Health, Children and Education, Older 

People, Travel and Leisure. It also includes a section 

aimed at Asylum Seekers. 

You will see that within each 

chapter there is a list of 

organisations and information 

with relevant contact details. 

Most of these include phone 

numbers, website and email 

addresses. We would be 

grateful, again if you could 

let us know of any sources of 

help and information that you 

have found useful that are 

not listed so that we can add 

them to future editions. 

The terms used in the document 

may be peculiarly English - 

things that are often simply 

taken for granted by people 

who were born and raised in 

this country. A good example 

may be use of the terms ‘Great 

Britain’ and the ‘United Kingdom’ 

(UK). Not everyone appreciates 

that there is a difference. Great Britain refers to 

England, Scotland and Wales and a number of 

small adjacent islands. The United Kingdom on the 

other hand also includes Northern Ireland. Neither 

includes the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man, 

though both are dependencies of the British crown! 

Confused Hopefully, this document will help you to 

understand more about this country – its systems, 

procedures, organisations, laws, services, culture 

and mannerisms. 

In doing this, we hope that you will become familiar 

with your new surroundings very quickly, feel at 

home and comfortable and contribute to making 

both your own lives and those of your neighbours 

and local communities more enriching and fulfilling. 

If we can help in any way, please don’t hesitate to 

get in touch. 

Work 

Emergency 


Welcome to 

Leicestershire! 

Part C - Work 

Part B - What to do in an emergency

A map of Leicestershire, showing the City and District 

boundaries, major roads and larger towns. 

BURTON 

UPON 

TRENT 

A5 

M6 

M1 

DERBY 

Nottingham 

East Midlands Airport 

A42 

SHEPSHED 

ASHBY-DE-LA-ZOUCH 

A512 

NORTH WEST LEICESTERSHIRE 

DISTRICT 

COALVILLE 

A511 

M1 

HINCKLEY & BOSWORTH 

BOROUGH 

A447 

A444 

EARL 

SHILTON 

HINCKLEY 

NUNEATON 

M69 

COVENTRY 

NOTTINGHAM 

BOTTESFORD 

A46 

A52 

GRANTHAM 

A453 

A60 A606 

A1 

A607 

A6006 

MELTON BOROUGH 

LOUGHBOROUGH 

CHARNWOOD 

BOROUGH 

A6 

A46 

A607 

MELTON 

MOWBRAY 

A606 

A1 

A50 

SYSTON 

LEICESTER 

A47 

OAKHAM 

A606 

Rutland Water 

A6121 

A47 

M69 

BLABY 

BLABY DISTRICT 

WIGSTON 

OADBY 

OADBY & WIGSTON BOROUGH 

A6 

A6003 

UPPINGHAM 

A47 

A5 

A426 

M1 

HARBOROUGH DISTRICT 

A5199 

MARKET 

HARBOROUGH 

CORBY 

LUTTERWORTH 

A4304 

M6 

A14 

KETTERING 

RUGBY 

Map of Leicestershire 

STAMFORD 

A1 

A47 

A16

Interpreters 

If you need an interpreter to do official 

business, e.g. talking to the police or 

someone at a local council, or asking 

about jobs at Jobcentre Plus, then the 

organisation to whom you are talking 

will find an interpreter. It is their 

responsibility to find some way they can 

help you, in your own language. 

Some organisations, like Leicestershire 

County Council, Leicestershire 

Constabulary and Jobcentre Plus (as 

well as many others) also subscribe to 

the interpreting and translation service, 

Language Line. This links them to a 

qualified and validated interpreter. 

You can then have a 3-way phone 

conversation with the official person and 

an interpreter. Other organisations can 

arrange for an interpreter to be present 

if you need one. They may need a few 

days to find someone who speaks your 

language. 

As there are over 85 languages 

spoken in Leicester and more than 

50 in Leicestershire, organisations 

are increasingly looking to provide 

translated written information in a 

variety of languages. However, the 

costs of translation are high and 

with the vast number of languages 

to cater for, it may not always be 

possible to immediately get access to 

information in your particular language. 

However, organisations can arrange for 

translations to be done, though this may 

take a little while to happen. 

MELTON BOROUGH 

NORTH WEST LEICESTERSHIRE 

DISTRICT 

CHARNWOOD 

BOROUGH 

Rutland Water 

HINCKLEY & BOSWORTH 

BOROUGH 

OADBY & WIGSTON BOROUGH 

BLABY DISTRICT 

HARBOROUGH DISTRICT

Part A - General Information about Leicestershire and the UK 

General 

I n f o r m a t i o n


8 

About Leicestershire 

The County of Leicestershire is in the heart of England, in 

a region called the East Midlands. The County surrounds 

the City of Leicester and Rutland lies to the east of 

Leicestershire. Large towns in Leicestershire include 

Loughborough, Melton Mowbray, Market Harborough, 

Lutterworth, Oadby, Wigston, Hinckley and 

Coalville. There are many villages as 

well. The East Midlands region is part of 

England. England, Wales, Scotland and 

Northern Ireland make up the United 

Kingdom. 

• Leicester was an important early 

Roman settlement (called Ratae 

Corieltauvorum). 

• The first great Roman road in this 

country (Fosse Way) ran through 

Leicester. Fosse is still a name that 

has Leicester links. Fosse Road is a 

major thoroughfare in the City, and 

Leicester City Football Club were 

originally called Leicester Fosse. 

• Simon de Montfort (after whom 

one of Leicester’s Universities is 

named) was Earl of Leicester in the 

Thirteenth Century. He led a revolt of 

barons against the reigning monarch, 

Henry III. 

• The Battle of Bosworth, in which 

King Richard III was killed and 

overthrown by Henry Tudor to end 

the Wars of the Roses, took place in 

1485. The battlefield lies just South 

of the town of Market Bosworth. 

• Lady Jane Grey (Queen of England 

for just nine days in 1553) lived at 

Bradgate Park, six miles North West 

of the City of Leicester. 

• Almost certainly the largest 

character in Leicester’s history was 

Daniel Lambert (born in Leicester 

in 1770). He has achieved national 

fame as at one stage he weighed 

nearly 53 stone and had a waist 

measurement of 9 feet!

• The first public trip by train 

was organised by Thomas 

Cook (founder of the 

modern travel industry 

and whose name 

features in many a 

town and city centre 

in the UK), and took 

place between 

Leicester and 

Loughborough in 

1841. Cook lived 

in Leicester for 50 

years. 

• Other famous 

Leicestershire 

people include 

the footballers Peter Shilton, Chris 

Kirkland, Emile Heskey and Gary 

Lineker, Joseph Merrick (a sufferer 

from Proteus Syndrome, cruelly 

known and made famous as 

‘The Elephant Man’), the singers 

Engelbert Humperdinck and Mark 

Morrison, band Kasabian, the 

Attenborough brothers (Sir David 

and Sir Richard), author Sue 

Townsend, playwright Joe Orton, Gok 

Wan (fashion expert) and Graham 

Chapman of Monty Python Fame. 

• Leicestershire is famous for the now 

illegal country pastime of fox hunting 

with dogs. The hunt at Quorn in 

Charnwood is particularly famous. 

The emblem of Leicestershire County 

Council contains a fox and the 

nickname of both the City’s football 

team and the County’s cricket team 

is ‘the foxes’. 

• Diwali celebrations in Leicester are 

said to be the largest outside of 

India. The City’s Caribbean Carnival 

is also the biggest after Notting Hill 

in London. 

• The National Space Centre is 

situated in Leicester. It is the UK’s 

biggest attraction devoted to space. 

Part A - General Information about Leicestershire and the UK


10 

Who Lives in Leicestershire 

Where do we come from 

Leicester is one of the most ethnically diverse 

cities in the UK. The last Census (held in 

2001) estimated that about 36% of the City’s 

population were from an ethnic minority 

background. The City Council suggests that the 

figure may well now be more. It is very likely 

that in the intervening period, that percentage 

figure will have increased. 

The County of Leicestershire is much less 

diverse in terms of ethnicity. Using the 2001 

Census again, a County Council research 

report indicated that 7.2% of the population 

of Leicestershire (outside the City of Leicester) 

were from Black and Minority Ethnic (BME 

communities). In terms of the 7 districts/ 

boroughs that make up the County area outside 

Leicester City, Charnwood has the highest BME 

population, followed by Oadby and Wigston, 

and then Blaby. 

For the full research report from Leicestershire 

County Council, go to 

www.leics.gov.uk/index/your_council/about_ 

leicestershire/statistics.htm and click on 

‘Census 2001’. 

As far as the City of Leicester is concerned, 

the largest ethnic minority groups are of Asian 

background, the majority being Indian or of 

Indian descent. There are smaller, but still 

sizeable, Black communities of African and/or 

Caribbean descent. 

Any history of Leicester will include reference 

to the large migrations of people from a 

number of different world locations – Uganda 

in the 1970’s, Somalia in the 1990’s and 

Eastern European nations following the 

enlargement of the European Union in 2004. 

Added to the long-standing Irish and Gypsy 

Traveller communities (amongst others) and 

the relatively high number of asylum seekers 

and new refugees, the diversity of the City and 

surrounding areas should be clear to see. 

Migrant Gateway’s portal is a route to 

information, advice and guidance for people 

moving to live or work in Europe. It is for 

migrants and people working with them. 

Although it is being developed in the East 

of England, much of the information applies 

elsewhere. It is under development and 

information is being added all the time, initially 

in six languages (Czech, Lithuanian, Polish, 

Portuguese, Russian and English). 

It is supported by a helpline for migrants 

(0871 423 1334) and an advice line for 

employers and practitioners (0845 234 

0708). The helplines are only available as 

follows: 

• 0871 423 1334 (META Hotline) is available 

from 8.00 am to 12 noon and 2.00 pm to 

6.00 pm on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. 

• 0845 234 0708 (Employment Advice) is 

available from 10.00 am to 1.00 pm and 

2.00 pm to 4.00 pm on Tuesdays and 

Thursdays. 

The Migrant Gateway website address is 

www.migrantgateway.eu

The Political System in the United Kingdom 

There are three major political parties 

– the Conservatives (or ‘Tories’), Labour 

and the Liberal Democrats (or ‘Lib Dems’). 

There are also a wide variety of other 

parties, some of them unique to the 

countries that make up the UK – England, 

Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. 

The people who are elected to Parliament 

are called Members of Parliament (MPs). 

Each MP represents a different area, 

known as a ‘constituency’, and will look 

after the interests of everyone living there. 

If you have any serious problems or wish 

to voice your concerns, you can contact 

your local MP. 

Citizens of the UK, the Commonwealth 

and the Republic of Ireland (if resident in 

the UK) can vote in all public elections. 

Citizens of European Union (EU) states 

who are resident in the UK can vote in all 

elections except national parliamentary 

elections. These elections return the next 

Government and are known as ‘General 

Elections’. A General Election is held at 

intervals of not more than five years. The 

UK has a ‘first past the post’ system rather 

than one of proportional representation. 

This means that the Government is usually 

formed by the party that has the most 

MPs. The leader of the party that wins the 

General Election becomes ‘Prime Minister’. 

The Labour Party forms the current 

Government. The next General Election 

will be held on or before 3rd June 2010. 

The UK is part of the European Union 

and members (MEPs) are elected to the 

European Parliament. 

You can register to vote by contacting the 

electoral registration office at your Local 

Authority (see below). There is more 

information about your rights to vote, and 

about political parties and elections, at 

www.direct.gov.uk/en/ 

Governmentcitizensandrights/ 

UKgovernment/ 

Politicalpartiesandelections/index.htm. 

County, City and Borough/District Councils 

also have elected Members representing 

parts (called ‘wards or divisions’) of the 

area they cover. 

There are close historical ties between 

Leicestershire and Rutland, its smaller 

neighbour to the East. Indeed, many 

organisations in Leicestershire include 

Rutland in their organisational remits. 

Accordingly, we are pleased to include 

some information on organisations in 

Rutland, including Rutland County 

Council. If you can’t find what you’re 

seeking in relation to Rutland, we would 

suggest that you contact Rutland County 

Council directly. Contact information is 

included on page 13 »» 


11

Part A 

- General Information about Leicestershire and the UK 

Organisation Phone Number Email/Website 

Local MPs 

Blaby – Andrew Robathan 01455 283594 or 0207 219 3000 blabycons@btconnect.com 

Bosworth – David Tredinnick 01455 635741 tredinnickd@parliament.uk 

Charnwood – Stephen Dorrell 0116 260 8609 

Harborough – Edward Garnier 01858 464146 

Leicester East – Keith Vaz 0116 212 2028 or 0207 219 4605 

info@stephendorrell.com 

www.stephendorrell.org.uk 

garniere@parliament.uk 

www.edwardgarnier.co.uk 

vazk@parliament.uk 

www.keithvaz.labour.co.uk/ 

Leicester South – Sir Peter Soulsby 0116 255 2895 soulsbyp@parliament.uk 

Leicester West – Patricia Hewitt 0116 251 6160 

Loughborough – Andy Reed 01509 261226 

North West Leicestershire – 

David Taylor 

Rutland and Melton – Alan Duncan 0207 219 5204 

hewittph@parliament.uk 

www.patriciahewitt.org.uk 

reeda@parliament.uk 

www.andyreedmp.org.uk 

01530 814372 taylord@parliament.uk 

duncana@parliament.uk 

www.alanduncan.org.uk 

12

Local Government in Leicestershire 

The United Kingdom (UK) is a democracy. 

This means that the Government is 

elected by its citizens. The monarch 

(currently Queen Elizabeth II) is Head of 

State, but has extremely limited powers. 

Leicestershire County Council is 

responsible for many services for the 

whole of Leicestershire. These include 

education, adult social care, children’s 

services, transport and libraries. 

The County of Leicestershire is divided 

into 7 areas (called ‘Districts’ or 

‘Boroughs’) which are run by 4 Borough 

Councils and 3 District Councils. 

These Councils are responsible for many 

things, including housing, standards of 

health in food and environment, collecting 

local property tax (see Council Tax, 

PAGE 19 »» ), maintaining parks, 

cleaning streets and collecting rubbish. 

At a more local level and especially in 

rural areas, there are many smaller parish 

and town councils. They deal mainly with 

things like play areas, sports facilities, 

cemetries and allotments, as well as 

representing the views of the community 

on local issues and concerns. 

The City of Leicester has a separate 

Council. Leicester City Council services 

include all of those identified for both 

County and Borough/District Councils. 


Top Tier Councils 

Leicester City Council 0116 252 7000 

Leicestershire County Council 0116 232 3232 

Rutland County Council 01572 722577 

All of these Councils are known as Local 

Authorities (LAs) or Local Government. 

customer.services@leicester.gov.uk 

www.leicester.gov.uk 

information@leics.gov.uk 

www.leics.gov.uk 

enquiries@rutland.gov.uk 

www.rutland.gov.uk 


13 

District and Borough Councils 

Blaby District Council 0116 275 0555 

Charnwood Borough Council 01509 263151 

enquiries@blaby.gov.uk 

www.blaby.gov.uk 

information@charnwood.gov.uk 

www.charnwood.gov.uk 

Harborough District Council 01858 828282 www.harborough.gov.uk 

Hinckley & Bosworth Borough Council 01455 238141 

Melton Borough Council 01664 502502 

North West Leicestershire District 

Council 

01530 454545 

Oadby & Wigston Borough Council 0116 288 8961 

Customer.Services@hinckley-bosworth.gov.uk 

www.hinckley-bosworth.gov.uk 

customerservices@melton.gov.uk 

www.melton.gov.uk 

info@nwleicestershire.gov.uk 

www.nwleicestershire.gov.uk 

customer.services@oadby-wigston.gov.uk 

www.oadby-wigston.gov.uk


14 

Laws in the UK 

Weapons 

• You cannot carry weapons in a public 

place, even for personal protection. This 

includes guns and knives as well as 

other weapons. 

• Pocket knives must have a blade less 

than 7.5 cm (3 inches) and any weapon 

where the blade locks in place is not 

permitted, whatever the blade length. 

• Pepper spray/CS gas is classed as a 

firearm in the UK and cannot be legally 

carried by members of the public. 

Domestic Noise Laws 

There are laws relating to the noise 

people make in their own homes. Local 

Authorities can take action if these laws 

are broken. Leicester City Council has a 

section on Domestic Noise on its website. 

The section includes some useful tips, 

some of which are: 

• Do noisy jobs and operate noisy 

equipment when it will cause least 

disturbance to your neighbours. Avoid 

working when they are trying to sleep or 

enjoying a quiet night in. 

• If you are doing something really noisy, 

e.g. floor sanding, drilling in party walls, 

let them know beforehand and they are 

far less likely to complain. 

• Avoid slamming doors and thundering 

up and down stairs, especially if you 

live in a flat or terraced house. 

• If you have a house or car alarm, leave 

a key with a neighbour or friend in case 

it is accidentally set off. 

You should also be mindful of these tips 

and of Noise Laws if you have to leave for 

work early in the morning and/or return 

late at night. 

To look at the full list of tips and other 

information, go to www.leicester.gov.uk/ 

your-council--services/ep/environmentalhealth-licensing/noise. 

• For music and other entertainment, keep 

the volume down – whether it’s TV, car 

stereo or conversation – especially at 

night/early morning. 

• If you are having a party, consider 

inviting the neighbours. Keep windows 

and doors closed, and if someone 

complains, turn it down. 

• Use noisy domestic appliances at 

sensible times – during normal waking 

hours. Hoovering in the early hours 

could disturb your neighbours.

General 

Here are some UK laws of a general 

nature: 

• It is illegal to have sex before you are 

16, or with someone who is under 16. 

It is illegal to have sex with someone 

who doesn’t want to have sex with 

you. This is called rape and is a serious 

crime. Your partner cannot force you to 

have sex with them if you don’t want 

to, even in your own home. This is still 

rape. 

• It is illegal both to undertake and to 

arrange female genital mutilation in the 

UK. 

• It is illegal in the UK to buy alcohol if 

you are under 18 years of age. 

• Some towns and cities in the UK have 

local by-laws banning the drinking of 

alcohol in public. 

• Recent legislation gave local authorities 

the power to designate particular places 

as being alcohol-free. 

• The same legislation strengthened 

UK law on issues such as public 

drunkenness and alcohol-related 

disorderly behaviour. 

• It is illegal to take or deal in illegal 

drugs, such as heroin, cocaine and 

others. For further information on 

drugs & crime go to www.direct.gov. 

uk/en/YoungPeople/CrimeAndJustice/ 

TypesOfCrime/DG_10027693. 

• It is against the law to drop litter. 

• Vandalising property, for example by 

drawing graffiti on walls, is illegal. 

• It is against the law to engage in 

begging. 

• It is illegal to try to bribe a police officer. 

• From 1st July 2007, new smokefree 

legislation was introduced. It is now 

illegal to smoke in virtually all ‘enclosed’ 

18 

and ‘substantially enclosed’ public 

places and work places. Anyone 

wanting to smoke has to go outside and 

use a designated area. 

• It is illegal to sell tobacco products to 

anyone under 16 years of age. 

You may find ‘TheSite’ website useful as 

a guide to UK laws, and indeed for other 

practical aspects of living and working 

in this country. Click on www.thesite. 

org/. The Border and Immigration Agency 

(BIA) has also published a book called 

‘Life in the UK: A Journey to Citizenship’. 

The second edition of this was published 

in March 2007 and is available from 

the Office of Public Sector Information 

bookstore by clicking on www.tsoshop. 

co.uk/bookstore.asptrackid=001261&F 

O=1240167. It costs £9.99. 


15


Criminal Justice 

System 

Though obviously it is hoped that you will 

not come into contact with the Criminal 

Justice System (CJS), it is worth knowing 

the basics of how things work in the UK. 

The CJS website is probably the best way 

to find out what happens, who is involved 

and who specifically you may have to get in 

touch with. 

The CJS is made up of bodies such as 

the police, the courts and the Crown 

Prosecution Service. In the ‘How it works’ 

section (www.cjsonline.gov.uk/the_cjs/ 

how_it_works/index.html), the criminal 

justice process is outlined in detail with 

information on: 

• Reporting Crime 

• Preparing the Case 

• Crown Court 

• Punishment & rehabilitation 

• Investigation 

• Magistrates Court 

• Sentencing 

• Wrongful Conviction 

There is also a local Criminal Justice Board 

which has responsibilities at a local level. 

Information on the Leicestershire and 

Rutland Board can be found via the CJS 

website. The website address is: 

http://lcjb.cjsonline.gov.uk/Leicestershire/ 

home_new.html. 

It is important to note that the CJS also 

provides important information on support 

for victims of crime. Victim Support 

is also an invaluable source of help 

and information. They have a national 

website (www.victimsupport.org.uk) and 

there are also contact points throughout 

Leicestershire. 

16 


Criminal Justice System 

Criminal Justice System 

Leicestershire & Rutland Criminal 

Justice Board 

Victim Support 

0116 222 2222 

ext 4694 

public.enquiries@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk 

www.cjsonline.gov.uk 

lcjb@leicestershire.pnn.police.uk 

Victim Support (national) 0845 30 30 900 www.victimsupport.org.uk/ 

Victim Support Leicester 0116 253 0101 leicester@victimsupport-leicsrut.org.uk 

Victim Support Leicestershire North 01664 411700 

Victim Support Leicestershire South 01455 233544 

rutlandandmelton@victimsupportleicsrut.org.uk 

westleicestershire@victimsupportleicsrut.org.uk

Money in the UK 

The UK has currently not entered the Euro 

and still has its own currency – pound 

sterling, made up of pounds and pence. 

One pound (£1) is made up of 100 pence 

(p). Coins are issued for £2, £1, 50p, 

20p, 10p, 5p, 2p and 1p. There are notes 

for £5, £10, £20 and £50. Be aware that 

although the Bank of England prints notes 

for both England and Wales, different 

banks do this in both Northern Ireland and 

Scotland. (Also note that Scottish banks 

issue both £1 notes and £100 notes 

in addition to those already mentioned 

above). Most banks will exchange Scottish 

notes for their English equivalent without 

any problems. 

Banks 

Bank accounts help you to receive money 

(from employment etc), keep a track 

of your spending and saving as well as 

paying bills. 

You will need proof of your identity to 

open a bank account in the UK. This can 

include a valid passport, a UK driving 

licence or a benefits book. You will also 

need proof of your address which can 

include a gas, electricity, water, phone or 

Council Tax bill, or local council rent card 

or your tenancy agreement. Please be 

aware that different banks accept different 

identification. 

even unique to particular banks. Having a 

bank account doesn’t mean that you can 

only get money out of your account when 

the bank is fully open. Most banks have 

their own cash machines which enable 

you to get money at any time through the 

use of a bank debit card. Some banks 

allow you to use this service even if you 

are a customer of another bank. Be aware 

that some convenience cash machines (at 

railway stations, motorway services, small 

shops etc) may charge you for withdrawing 

money. 

Building Societies 

Services offered by building societies are 

increasingly similar to those offered by 

banks (see previous section). In the past, 

building societies (as opposed to banks) 

tended to focus more on saving and on 

services such as providing mortgages. 

Now, the difference between the two is 

becoming less obvious. 

The Local Life website (which is also 

a great source of information about a 

range of things) contains contact details 

for banks and building societies in the 

Leicester area. 

Go to www.locallife.co.uk/leicester/ 

banksbuildings3.asp. 


17 

There are a large number of banks in 

the UK. They all offer basic core banking 

services but often with some variations. 

Some services may be less common or


18 

Credit Unions 

A Credit Union is a locally run organisation 

where people can save money. A Credit 

Union can help you save money and 

manage it properly, even if you cannot get 

a bank account. Usually you will need to 

produce two pieces of evidence to open 

an account at a Credit Union – proof of 

address, and a formal document that 

includes your signature. You can start 

saving from as little as £1. 

Bills 

There are a number of different services 

you need to pay for if you have your own 

accommodation in the UK. If you rent 

accommodation, find out from the landlord 

if any bills (gas, electricity, water, Council 

Tax and telephone) are included in the 

rent. 

There are many suppliers of gas, electricity 

and telephone services. You may find 

the UK Power website a useful source 

of information on gas and electricity 

suppliers. Click on www.ukpower.co.uk/ 

or call 0845 009 1780. The water in the 

Leicestershire area is provided by the same 

company – Severn Trent Water. 

Water 

You must pay for water in the UK. In most 

areas you pay a set water bill every year. 

This does not change, no 

matter how much water 

you use. However, some 

companies now offer the 

option of water meters so 

that you only pay for the 

water that you use. This 

can be more expensive if 

there are a lot of people 

living in a property. Water out of a cold 

tap is safe to drink in this country, unless 

there is a sign that says otherwise. Phone 

Severn Trent Water on 0800 783 4444 to 

report a leak or problems with the quality 

of the water. 

Gas and Electricity 

Houses in the UK are usually connected 

to gas or electricity supplies (or both) to 

provide power and heat. When you move 

into a new property, you should contact 

the gas and electricity suppliers to put 

the bills under your name. Make sure you 

give them the meter reading for when you 

arrived, so you are not billed for what was 

used before you arrived. Gas and electricity 

is billed according to how much you use. 

Most houses have gas and electricity 

meters which the utility companies can 

check to see how much you have used. 

In some rented accommodation you may 

need to buy a key or card which you insert 

into the meter each time you need to top 

up the gas or electricity. You can buy this 

key/card and top it up at your local post 

office or shop. 

If you smell gas, there may be a leak, 

phone free on 0800 807060. If the power 

fails or there is an electrical problem, 

phone free on 0800 783 8838.

Saving Water, Gas 

and Electricity 

The UK Government encourages people 

to save water and energy to help 

ensure the future of the environment. 

You can find out about greener living, 

how to save energy and reduce your 

energy bills by looking at the Direct.gov. 

uk website. Click on www.direct.gov. 

uk/en/Environmentandgreenerliving/ 

Greenerlivingaquickguide/index.htm. 

Another useful source of information is the 

Energy Saving Trust. Their website address 

is www.energysavingtrust.org.uk. They 

also have a telephone number that is free 

to call (0800 512 012). 

Council Tax 

Council Tax is a local tax which pays for 

services such as the police, fire service 

and refuse collection. Council Tax applies 

to all homes in the UK. It is set by your 

Local Authority on all residential property. 

If you are on welfare benefits or a low 

income, you may be entitled to Council 

Tax Benefit, which will reduce the amount 

of Council Tax that you have to pay. There 

are rules about who should pay the tax. If 

you are living in accommodation provided 

by your agent or employer, and you are 

not staying permanently in the UK, it is 

unlikely that you will have to pay the tax 

yourself. However, if you own or rent a 

house, you are usually liable to pay the 

Council Tax and you should check this. 

Your Local Authority will be able to tell you 

whether you have to pay or not. 

Telephone 

Most houses in the UK have a fixed phone 

line (called a landline). If you do not have 

a line, you can contact a phone company 

to have one installed. You will usually have 

to pay for this. If you already have a phone 

line, you can be connected for free. 

Mobile phones can be useful, but consider 

the costs carefully and visit different 

mobile phone shops to get the best deal. 

Phoning other countries is always more 

expensive than phoning numbers within 

the UK, and phoning mobiles is usually 

more expensive than phoning ordinary 

phones. Make sure you can keep your 

mobile charged, even if you aren’t using 

it, so you can get at the numbers in the 

memory. There are public telephone boxes 

in many places, where you can put money 

or a card in to pay for phone calls. This is 

usually cheaper than a mobile phone. You 

can also make emergency calls for free 

from phone boxes. 

Television Licence 

If you have a television (TV) in your house, 

you must also have a television licence. 

You can get a TV licence application form 

online at www.tvlicensing.co.uk. At the 

time of writing (Sept 2008), a TV licence 

costs £139.50 (colour) 

and £47 (black and 

white) per year. 

You can be taken 

to court and fined 

if you do not have 

a TV licence. 


19


20 

Paying your Bills 

There are usually a number of different 

options available to pay your bills. Talk to 

the utility provider (gas, electricity etc) and 

look at the back of your utility bills to see 

which is the best option for you. 

Using Credit 

You may wish to borrow money to pay for 

goods. There are several types of credit 

such as loans and credit cards. You should 

be given a credit agreement to read and 

sign. Interest rates vary and can be quite 

high so you should compare them before 

signing the agreement. Borrowing from 

lenders who come to your home can be 

expensive and even risky. 

You can get advice on credit and debt from 

Citizens Advice (www.adviceguide.org.uk) 

or www.banking-guide.co.uk. If you have 

a problem with credit or buying goods, you 

can get advice on consumer rights from 

Consumer Direct. Their website address 

is www.consumerdirect.org.uk and their 

telephone number is 08454 04 05 06. 

Debt Advice 

If you have problems with debt, you can 

find a debt adviser through Community 

Legal Advice (www.clsdirect.org.uk or 

0845 345 4 345), or contact the National 

Debtline (www.nationaldebtline.co.uk/ 

or 0808 808 4000). Alternatively, use 

the Citizens Advice network. Details are 

included in Chapter 6 on ‘Benefits and 

legal advice’ (see page 48 »» ). 

Sending 

Money Home 

If you want to send money to your family 

outside the UK, or if you want them to 

send you money, you can do this safely 

using the Money Gram system operated 

by main Post Offices. Money Gram will 

transfer money instantly to post offices or 

banks in most countries around the world. 

You can also transfer money from a bank 

account here to a bank account in another 

country. There is a charge for these 

services. Do not send money in the post. 

Insurance 

You can obtain insurance for virtually 

anything and everything. Having 

an insurance policy does provide 

compensation for accidents, loss, theft 

and damage to property and belongings. 

It also gives greater protection with regard 

to things such as health and finance. The 

most common types of insurance include 

the following: 

• Building Insurance 

• Household contents 

• Travel 

• Life Insurance 

• Vehicle Insurance 

• Private Medical Insurance 

• Critical Illness Insurance 

• Accident, sickness and unemployment 

cover 

Though it is always well advised to seek 

and gain insurance cover, it may not be 

possible or affordable to have insurance 

for everything (though you have to have 

appropriate insurance in place for your car/ 

vehicle, for example. You may, therefore, 

have to decide on priorities and whether 

the risk of not being insured is worth 

taking.

The Site website is worth a look for general 

information about insurance. 

Go to www.thesite.org/homelawandmoney/ 

money/insurance/insuranceoverview. 

Pensions 

You may be thinking about saving for 

your retirement. A State pension depends 

on you having paid enough National 

Insurance contributions. It may not be 

enough for your needs when you reach 

retirement age. Many people save for their 

retirement independently of their State 

pension through a pension’s scheme. Some 

employers operate pension schemes. There 

are private pension schemes operated by 

financial companies. There are also 

stakeholder pensions which are run by the 

Government. 

Pensions can be complicated and you 

should get advice from an independent 

financial adviser. Most cities and towns will 

have companies showing the independent 

financial adviser sign. You can find 

out more about pensions from www. 

direct.gov.uk/en/MoneyTaxAndBenefits/ 

PensionsAndRetirement/index.htm. 

Information on stakeholder pensions can 

be found from the Pension Service at 

www.thepensionservice.gov.uk. You can 

get advice on occupational and personal 

pensions from the Pensions Advisory 

Service at www.pensionsadvisoryservice. 

org.uk. 


Citizens Advice 

www.adviceguide.org.uk 

Community Legal Advice 0845 345 4 345 www.clsdirect.org.uk/ 

Consumer Direct 08454 04 05 06 www.consumerdirect.org.uk 

Energy Saving Trust 0800 512 012 www.energysavingtrust.org.uk 

Guide to Banking 

www.banking-guide.org.uk/ 

National Debtline 0808 808 4000 www.nationaldebtline.co.uk/ 

Post Office (online) 08457 22 33 44 www.postoffice.co.uk 

Severn Trent Water 

08457 500500 

0800 783 4444 

(emergency) 

TV Licensing 0870 241 6468 

www.stwater.co.uk/ 

tvlcsc@capita.co.uk 

www.tvlicensing.co.uk/ 

UK Power 0845 009 1780 www.ukpower.co.uk/ 

Credit Unions in Leicestershire 

Clockwise Credit Union 0116 247 1740 

Highfields Community Credit Union Ltd 0116 262 4645 

Leicester Caribbean Credit Union Ltd 0116 251 2224 

Leicester City Council Employees Credit Union Ltd 0116 247 0433 

South Wigston Community Credit Union Ltd 0116 278 2684 

Pensions 

enquiries@clockwise-cu.co.uk 

www.clockwise-cu.co.uk 


21 

The Pension Service 

0845 60 60 265 

0845 60 60 285 

(people with 

speech or hearing 

difficulties) 

www.thepensionservice.gov.uk/ 

The Pensions Advisory Service 0845 601 2923 www.pensionsadvisoryservice.org.uk/


22 

Customs and Traditions 

General 

As in all countries, you will find that 

there are many customs and traditions in 

the UK, some unique to specific places. 

Getting to know some of these will be 

interesting and hopefully pleasurable for 

you as your new surroundings become 

more familiar. 

As far as the UK is concerned, you will 

find the i-UK website (www.i-uk.com) 

really useful (for general purposes as 

well). There is a page specifically devoted 

to customs and traditions – just click 

on ‘Did you know’ which is highlighted 

in red on the Home Page. Alternatively, 

the government information site is 

worth a look. Click on www.direct.gov. 

uk/en/Governmentcitizensandrights/ 

LivingintheUK/index.htm. 

There are some things you will find that 

are generally common, and therefore 

useful to know about. These include the 

following: 

• People in the UK have a reputation 

for politeness. It is customary to greet 

people, particularly in the morning. 

All you need to say is ‘hello’ or ‘good 

morning’. Holding doors open for people 

and observing queues are also seen 

as being not just good manners, but 

normal behaviour. Saying ‘please’ and 

‘thank you’ might appear to be obvious, 

but you will find that doing so regularly 

will make people warm to you and make 

them more willing to talk to you and 

perhaps offer you help. 

• However, people are used to 

complaining, whether it’s about the 

weather, the fortunes of the local 

football team, or about services that 

they receive (or don’t!). 

• Other things that are generally frowned 

upon include failing to maintain your 

garden (i.e. not mowing your lawn if 

you have one), blocking someone else’s 

driveway with your car, and urinating or 

spitting in public. 

• Gambling is popular. Many people, for 

example, take part in the twice-weekly 

National Lottery games, and betting 

shops can be found in many high 

streets. 

• Going to a public house (‘pub’) is 

a popular social activity. However, 

people’s drinking habits in the UK may 

be very different to what you may be 

used to. Some like to drink a lot of 

alcohol in a relatively short period of 

time – particularly on Friday or Saturday 

nights. This ‘binge drinking’ can lead 

to issues of drunkenness and rowdy 

behaviour. You may, therefore, be more 

aware of police activity in town centres 

on weekend evenings. Also, some pubs 

and nightclubs employ door supervisors 

which are an added security measure. 

Providing you don’t cause trouble, the 

police and door supervisors are there to 

enable you to have a safe and enjoyable 

time. 

• In summer months, many 

British people travel to 

the coast to enjoy the 

sand and sea as well 

as the attractions 

of holiday towns. 

This can be for 

individual 

days, Bank 

Holiday 

weekends 

or for 

longer 

holidays. 

Popular 

holiday

esorts for people from Leicestershire 

are Skegness and Mablethorpe in 

Lincolnshire, and Hunstanton, Cromer 

and Great Yarmouth in Norfolk. All these 

places are on the English East Coast 

and will take between 2 and 3 hours to 

travel to by car. 

• In the UK people you can be prosecuted 

for cruelty to animals. Hunting or 

fighting animals or birds is illegal. See 

the Royal Society for the Prevention of 

Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) for more 

information. 

Food 

There are some foods that are seen as 

typically British, even though their origins 

may not be. It is interesting to note that 

the national British dish is now chicken 

tikka masala, which is a big reflection 

of multiculturalism and the impact of 

diversity on national tastes. Other more 

traditional foods include roast beef, fish 

and chips (fried potatoes), toad-in-the-hole 

(sausages in batter) and Shepherd’s pie 

(minced lamb and vegetables, topped with 

potato). Again, there are local delicacies, 

and Leicestershire is particularly famous 

for pork pies and varieties of cheese. 

Christmas and Easter 

The i-UK website provides an excellent 

summary of customs and traditions 

– including the Christian religious festivals 

of Christmas and Easter. It mentions the 

sending of cards as well as the giving and 

receiving of presents, the focus on family 

gatherings and the decorating of homes, 

streets and offices. A decorated Christmas 

tree is also traditionally to be found in 

British homes during the festive period. 

There are traditional Christmas foods 

(mince pies, turkey, Christmas pudding 

and cake), as well as traditional Christmas 

characters and observances – Father 

Christmas (Santa Claus or St Nicholas) 

being the most notable example. 


23 

As far as meals go, British people tend to 

have three in a day. Following breakfast in 

the morning, however, there are differences 

in how people refer to their meals. These 

differences tend to be regional and also to 

do with social class. Some people refer to 

‘dinner’ as their main meal, whether they 

have it in the middle of the day or in the 

evening. If the former, the third meal is 

commonly referred to as ‘tea’ or ‘supper’. 

If the latter, the mid-day meal is known as 

‘lunch’. 

It is important to remember that not 

everybody observes Christmas. Many 

people don’t because they are followers 

of other faiths. However, at Christmas, 

it is customary for businesses to close, 

people to exchange gifts and for people 

generally to celebrate in a variety of ways.


24 

In Leicestershire, you will find that the 

last three months of the year are very 

special for a number of faiths, containing 

as they do the Muslim festival of Eid, 

Diwali (Hindu, Sikh and Jain) and the 

Christmas festivities 

in a relatively short 

period of time. 

Easter is also, of 

course, another 

prominent religious 

occasion and 

the festivities 

take a number 

of traditional 

forms. With 

regard to food, 

the eating of fish 

on Good Friday 

is customary, 

as are hot-cross 

buns and, particularly 

for children, the receiving of 

chocolate Easter eggs. 

Calendar 

There are many significant and important 

days for British people during the course of 

the year. Many of these relate to faith and 

religion. However, some of these religious 

occasions have also become important 

aspects of national identity and culture. 

Christmas and Easter, as previously 

mentioned, do involve formal holidays 

from work for many – but not all – people. 

Leicestershire’s Black and Minority Ethnic 

Citizens’ Jury project has also produced 

calendars for both 2007 and 2008. This 

calendar combines faith, national and 

international observances. This is available 

as a computer document from Julian 

Harrison at Leicestershire County Council. 

Please get in touch if you would like a 

copy (0116 305 7018 or jnharrison@ 

leics.gov.uk). A calendar will also be 

produced for 2009. 

The following is a list of selected 

occasions during the course of the year 

that reflect key aspects of British life. 

Bank Holidays (so-called as initially 

they were occasions when banks 

closed, traditionally affecting other 

businesses) are basically an extra 

days holiday for people in many 

work areas (e.g. local government, 

education, finance, health). However, 

nowadays, it is increasingly common 

for many shops and other leisure 

venues to open on Bank Holidays, and 

there is usually a full sports schedule on 

these days. 

In England, Bank Holidays occur on 1st 

January, Good Friday and Easter Monday, 

and on Mondays at the beginning and 

end of May and at the end of August. 

Both Christmas Day 

and Boxing Day (St 

Stephen’s Day) are 

also Bank Holidays. 

Many organisations and companies 

produce multi-faith calendars. The BBC 

Calendar is a good example.

Event/Occasion Date Information 

Robert Burns Night 25 th January Robert Burns is Scotland’s best known and loved poet. 

Valentine’s Day 14 th February An occasion for loved ones to swap cards and gifts. 

Shrove Tuesday (Pancake 

Day) 

February 

St David’s Day 1 st March Patron Saint of Wales 

It is traditional to make pancakes on this day. 

St Patrick’s Day 17 th March Patron Saint of Ireland. 

April Fools Day 

The Grand National 

St George’s Day 

1 st April 

Saturday in early April 

23 rd April 

A day for hoaxes and practical jokes, but only (traditionally) 

before 12 noon. Not a holiday as such. 

The biggest betting horse race in the UK. It is held at 

Aintree in Liverpool. 

Patron Saint of England (amongst others). The English 

flag (a red cross on a white background) is the Flag of St 

George. 

May Day 1 st May Traditional beginning of Spring and workers’ day. 

FA Cup Final 

Wimbledon 

Last Night of the Proms 

Halloween 

Bonfire Night 

(Guy Fawkes Night) 

Saturday in May 

June/July 

Usually 2 nd Saturday in 

September 

31 st October 

5 th November 

The final of the English Football Association’s Cup 

competition, traditionally held at Wembley. The Scottish 

Cup Final is also held around this time (at Hampden Park 

in Glasgow). 

The world’s oldest tennis event. Wimbledon is in South 

West London. 

‘Promenade’ concerts take place at the Royal Albert Hall in 

London throughout the summer. 

Children dress up and go around local areas asking for 

treats. 

This commemorates the thwarted attempt to blow up 

the Houses of Parliament by conspirators (including Guy 

Fawkes) in 1605. Festivities include fireworks and the 

public lighting of bonfires. 


Armistice Day 

11 th November 

Marks the end of the First World War. A minute’s silence is 

observed at 11.00 am (on the 11 th Day of the 11 th Month 

etc). 

25 

Remembrance Sunday 

Nearest Sunday to 11 th 

November 

Commemorates all who have died in war and conflict. 

Traditionally, a red poppy is worn in remembrance. 

St Andrew’s Day 30 th November Patron Saint of Scotland (amongst others). 


Go Leicestershire 0906 294 1113 www.goleicestershire.com/ 

RSPCA 0300 1234 999 www.rspca.org.uk


26 

Belief and Religion 

People enjoy freedom of worship in this country. The UK has strong historical Christian 

traditions. However, there are followers of many religious beliefs here today. You can find 

out about places of worship in your area through a public library, Yellow Pages or telephone 

directory. 

There are contact details for various faiths listed at the end of this chapter. Some are 

representative organisations, others also have a focus on practical delivery and assistance. 

Leicester, Loughborough and now also the County of Leicestershire each have a Council 

of Faiths (a multi-faith group that includes major faith representatives). Julian Harrison at 

Leicestershire County Council also has information on further organisations and places of 

worship. To contact him, ring 0116 305 7018 or email jnharrison@leics.gov.uk. 

Christian 

There are Anglican churches (Church 

of England) in Leicester, every town 

and many villages. Many also have a 

Methodist Church and a few also have 

Baptist churches. There are Catholic 

Churches in Leicester and in most of the 

major towns. There are also Orthodox 

and other churches catering for particular 

national groups including Greeks, Poles 

and Ukrainians in Leicester. There is 

also a Polish Church in Melton Mowbray. 

The Salvation Army are also present 

in Leicestershire, and run a variety of 

community 

services. There 

are many other 

types of church 

across the City 

and County as 

well. 

Hindu 

Leicestershire has a large Hindu 

population. Accordingly, there are a 

great number of Hindu organisations, 

community venues and Temples. For 

specific and further information, contact 

the Hindu Council of Leicestershire. The 

Diwali Festival of Lights celebrations in 

the Belgrave area of the city is renowned 

for being the largest outside of India and 

attracts people from all communities, not 

just Hindus. 

Jewish 

There are a number of Jewish 

organisations in the area, including the 

Leicester Progressive Synagogue and the 

Leicester Progressive Jewish Congregation. 

Muslim 

There are a great number of Muslim 

organisations in both the City of Leicester 

and the County of Leicestershire. For 

further information, contact the Federation 

of Muslim Organisations. There are many 

places of Islamic worship, including 

the Leicester Central Mosque and the 

Loughborough Mosque. The Islamic 

Foundation is based at the Markfield 

Institute of Higher Education, to the North 

West of Leicester.

Sikh 

The Federation of Sikh Organisations is 

based at the Gurdwara Guru Tegh Bhadur 

in East Park Road in Leicester. The Guru 

Nanak Gurudwara and Guru Nanak 

Community Centre is also a major venue 

for Sikh worship and community activity in 

the City of Leicester. 

Other Faiths 

Other faiths are actively practised in 

Leicestershire. These include Jainism 

and Buddhism. Universities in Leicester 

and Loughborough have flourishing faith 

and religious societies and multi-faith 

networks. Such networks also exist on a 

geographical basis, for example in Oadby 

and Wigston and Charnwood as well as 

the City of Leicester. 

Equality Issues 

There is a strong focus on equality 

issues as far as legislation in the UK is 

concerned. In recent years, laws relating 

to race equality have been updated and 

strengthened, and new laws have come 

in concerning Disability, Gender, Sexual 

Orientation, Faith and Age discrimination. 

All are intended to make this country a 

fairer and more equitable society and to 

strongly state that discrimination on all 

these grounds is both unacceptable and 

unlawful. 

Brief information on equalities legislation 

can be found on the Improvement and 

Development Agency Knowledge website 

by clicking on www.idea-knowledge.gov. 

uk/idk/core/page.dopageId=5145524. 

The new Commission for Equality and 

Human Rights (CEHR) began operating in 

October 2007. The CEHR has been set up 

to bring all the previously separate equality 

bodies together in a single Commission. 

There are a number of local as well as 

national organisations that can help you if 

you need information, advice and support 

on a range of equality and discrimination 

issues. Details on some of these can be 

found at the end of the chapter. 




Leicester Council of Faiths 0116 254 6868 

info@leicestercounciloffaiths.org.uk 

www.leicestercounciloffaiths.org.uk/ 

Leicester Council of Faiths 0116 254 6868 

info@leicestercounciloffaiths.org.uk 

www.leicestercounciloffaiths.org.uk/ 

Loughborough Council of Faiths 01509 261651 

crec@btconnect.com 

www.charnwoodrec.org 

St Philip’s Centre for Study and 

Kathy.morrison@stphilipscentre.co.uk 

0116 273 3459 

Engagement in a Multi Faith Society 

www.stphilipscentre.co.uk/ 

Christian 

Baptist Church (East Midland Baptists) 

www.embaptists.co.uk/ 

Diocese of Leicester 0116 248 7400 www.leicester.anglican.org/ 

Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Leicester 0116 291 6518 

Methodist Church (Northampton 

District) 

www.methodistdistrict23.org.uk/ 

Polish Church in Leicester 0116 221 7006 www.leicesterpolonia.co.uk/ 

Polish Church in Melton Mowbray 01664 562101 

27


28 



Roman Catholic (Diocese of 

Nottingham) 

0115 953 9800 www.nottingham-diocese.org.uk/ 

The Salvation Army (East Midlands) 0115 983 5000 http://www1.salvationarmy.org.uk/ 

Hindu 

Hindu Council of Leicestershire 0116 266 5665 

Jewish 

Leicester Hebrew Congregation 0116 254 0477 

Muslim 

Federation of Muslim Organisations 

Sikh 

Gurdwara Guru Tegh Bhadur, Leicester 0116 276 0517 

Other Faiths 

rabbipink@btinternet.com 

www.jewishleicester.org 

akgheewala@aol.com 

www.fmo.org.uk/index.html 

www.punjab2000.com/LeicesterSikhsBG. 

html 

Amida Trust (Buddhist) 0116 286 7476 www.amidatrust.com 

Jain Centre 0116 254 1150 

Equality Issues 

Action Deafness 0116 257 4800 

Charnwood Racial Equality Council 01509 261651 

Commission for Equality and Human 

Rights 

0203 117 0235 

Leicester Centre for Integrated Living 0116 222 5005 

Leicester Lesbian Gay and Bisexual 

Centre 

Leicestershire Ethnic Minority 

Partnership (LEMP) 

0116 254 7412 

0116 242 4098 

LeicestHERday Trust 0116 257 5615 

Mencap 0116 242 2730 

The Race Equality Centre 0116 299 9800 

VISTA 0116 249 0909 

Interpreters 

Language Line 0800 169 2879 

contact@jaincentre.com 

www.jaincentre.co.uk 

enquiries@actiondeafness.org.uk 

www.actiondeafness.org.uk 



info@equalityhumanrights.com 

www.equalityhumanrights.com 

admin@lcil.org.uk 

www.lcil.org.uk 

info@llgbc.com 

www.llgbc.com 

info@lemp-leics.org.uk 

www.lemp-leics.org.uk 

leicestherday@leicestershire.businesslink. 

co.uk 

www.leicestherday.org.uk 

leicester@mencap.org.uk 

www.mencap.org.uk 

administrator@lrec.org.uk 

www.lrec.org.uk/ 

info@vistablind.org.uk 

www.vistablind.org.uk 

enquiries@languageline.co.uk 

www.languageline.co.uk/

Emergency 


Part B - What to do in an emergency

What to do in an emergency 

Dial 999 (the UK emergency number) or 112 (the international distress number) to 

call the emergency services. These numbers are free to call, but for emergencies only. 

If you call them you will be asked which service you need: Police, Fire, Ambulance or 

Coastguard. You will be asked your name (which you don’t have to give), where you 

are calling from, the location of the emergency and what has happened or is currently 

happening. 

Part B - What to do in an emergency 

30 

In an emergency (for example, fire, flood, explosion or any weather-related or security 

incident) obey the instructions of anyone identifiable as a member of the emergency 

services or any other government authority. 

Police 

Police in the UK are responsible for 

keeping law and order. They are not part 

of the army, they are independent from 

the Government, and they do not routinely 

carry guns. All police in Leicestershire 

can call an interpreter if they need one to 

speak to you. 

If you are arrested or 

charged with a crime, the 

police will tell you the 

reason for your arrest. You 

have the right to free legal 

advice from a solicitor at 

the police station, and the 

right to send a message 

to a friend or family 

member. 

The power to stop and search people can 

help the police to detect crime and make 

your community safer. ‘Stop and search’ is 

when a police officer stops and searches 

you, your clothes, your vehicle, or anything 

you are carrying. You can ask for the name 

of the officer who has stopped you, the 

police station where he/she is based, and 

the reason for the search. A leaflet entitled 

‘Stop and Search – Know Your Rights’ is 

available from www.apa.police.uk (the 

Association of Police Authorities). 

You should call the police if you have a 

car accident in which someone is hurt, if 

you are the victim of a crime or a witness 

to a crime. You can call Leicestershire 

Constabulary on 0116 222 2222 for 

community safety and non-emergency 

calls. If you don’t want to give your name, 

you can call Crimestoppers on 

0800 555111 to report crimes.

Leicestershire Constabulary (which covers 

Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland) aims 

to provide the best quality service. If this is 

not the case and you feel you should make 

a complaint about the matter, then it can 

be done in any of the following ways: 

1. By writing to: Leicestershire 

Constabulary, Force Headquarters, St 

Johns, Enderby, Leicestershire LE19 

2BX. 

2. By visiting the Leicestershire 

Constabulary website (www.leics. 

police.uk) and viewing the Professional 

Standards page. 

3. Visiting the Independent Police 

Complaints Commission (IPCC) website 

(www.ipcc.gov.uk) and viewing the 

Central page; or email enquiries@ipcc. 

gsi.gov.uk. 

4. Visiting any police station. 

5. If you wish to remain anonymous 

but still want to bring matters to 

the attention of the Leicestershire 

Constabulary, then you are able to do 

this by ringing Crimestoppers. 

Fire 

If you have a fire, call 999 or 112 and 

ask for the Fire Service. Give them your 

address and your name. This is a free 

service. 

The Fire Service provides other free 

services: 

• Advice and guidance on how to prevent 

fires and what to do if one occurs in 

both the home and where you work. 

• They can provide and fit a smoke alarm 

in your home if you request a home fire 

safety check. 

• If you have a child that plays with fire 

or sets fire deliberately, the Fire Service 

can help. This service is both free and 

confidential. 

The number to call for these free services 

is 0116 287 2241 or you could email 

infoservices@lfrs.org. 

For more information, you can visit the 

Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service 

website. Click on www.leicestershire-fire. 

gov.uk/. Leicestershire Fire and Rescue 

Service covers Leicester, Leicestershire 

and Rutland. Another useful website for 

information about fire prevention is called 

Fire Kills. Click on www.firekills.gov.uk. 

Ambulance 

You should call 999 or 112 and ask for 

the Ambulance Service if someone is ill or 

injured and is too ill to get to hospital by 

themselves. 

Coastguard 

Even though Leicestershire is inland, you 

may need the services of the Coastguard 

if you are working on the coast or visiting 

coastal areas. You should call 999 or 112 

and ask for the Coastguard for incidents on 

or near the coast, in the sea, or on boats. 

They can rescue people who have fallen 

down cliffs or are cut off by the tide. 


31


Emergency Services 

Emergency 999 or 112 


32 

Association of Police Authorities (APA) 0207 664 3096 

East Midlands Ambulance Service (EMAS) 0115 929 6151 

Independent Police Complaints 

Commission (IPCC) 

08453 002 002 

(Central Region) 

apa.info@lga.gov.uk 

www.apa.police.uk 

info@emas.nhs.uk 

www.emas.nhs.uk/ 

enquiries@ipcc.gsi.gov.uk 

www.ipcc.gov.uk/ 

Leicestershire Constabulary 0116 222 2222 www.leics.police.uk/ 

Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service 0116 287 2241 

Gas, Water and 

Electricity Emergencies 

For information on gas, water and 

electricity emergencies, see «« page 18 

(In Case of 

Emergency) 

- ICE 

If you carry a mobile 

phone, make sure you 

store an emergency 

contact under ICE. 

ICE stands for In 

Case of Emergency, and can be used by 

ambulance staff to find out information 

about you if you are injured and you can’t 

speak to them. If you can, try to make 

sure that the person you choose can speak 

English. 

Missing Persons 

If someone you know has gone missing, 

you should report it to the police, who 

can investigate and try to find the missing 

person. Missing People is the national 

infoservices@lfrs.org 

www.leicestershire-fire.gov.uk/ 

charity that supports people who are 

missing someone. They are also a contact 

point for people who have run away. You 

can phone a 24-hour free and confidential 

helpline on 0500 700 700 or visit 

www.missingpeople.org.uk. 

Hate Crime 

If someone is attacked, or shouted at, 

or property is damaged because of that 

person’s age, disability, gender, race, 

religion/belief or sexual orientation, this 

is a hate incident. It is important that 

you report this. It is not acceptable in 

this country, and the police will help 

to find and prosecute people who 

carry out hate crimes. A number of 

organisations who will be able to 

tell you more about hate incidents 

are listed at the 

end of this chapter. 

Leicestershire has 

two Racial Equality 

Councils – The Race 

Equality Centre in Leicester 

and Charnwood Racial Equality 

Council who deal with racial 

matters.

It is important that you know what a hate 

crime is, so that you can report it if you 

are unfortunate enough to be a victim, and 

you don’t commit such a crime yourself, 

whether inadvertently or not. 

The Leicestershire Hate Incident 

Monitoring Project (based at Leicestershire 

County Council) is a good source of 

information. It states that a hate incident 

may be physical, verbal or written and 

can take many forms. It lists a number of 

examples: 

• Physical attack – such as physical 

assault, damage to property, offensive 

graffiti 

• Threat of attack – including offensive 

letters, abusive or obscene phone calls 

• Verbal abuse or insults 

• Offensive leaflets or posters, hate mail, 

abusive gestures, dumping of rubbish 

outside homes 

• Harassment, bullying and victimisation. 

Harassment is defined as ‘unwanted 

behaviour that a person finds 

intimidating, upsetting, embarrassing, 

humiliating or offensive.’ 

You can report any hate incident and seek 

advice through the Leicestershire Hate 

Incident Monitoring Project by calling 

0116 305 8263 or using the online 

form (www.leics.gov.uk/index/reporthate. 

htm). Information leaflets are available in 

English, Bengali, Chinese, Gujarati, Polish 

and Punjabi. 

If you become a victim of any crime 

please report this to the police. The matter 

will then be investigated, particularly in 

cases of victimisation where you may 

have been perceived to be a member of a 

minority group. Each neighbourhood has 

a designated police officer. They will offer 

you any help or advice you need. 

To find out the name of your local police 

officer (called a neighbourhood beat 

manager), visit www.leics.police.uk/ or 

contact Leicestershire Constabulary. Do 

not take the law into your own hands (in 

other words, do not do something illegal in 

order to punish someone) – you may end 

up getting yourself into trouble or hurt. 


33 


Hate Crime 

Crimestoppers 0800 555111 www.crimestoppers-uk.org 

Hate Incident Monitoring Project 0116 305 8263 www.leics.gov.uk/index/reporthate.htm 

Lesbian Gay Bisexual Centre Leicester 0116 254 7412 

Trade Sexual Health 0116 254 1747 




www.llgbc.com 

info@tradesexualhealth.com 

www.tradesexualhealth.com 




www.lrec.org.uk/


If you do not wish to report a hate crime 

directly to the police, you could contact 

Crimestoppers anonymously on 

0800 555111. 

Domestic Violence 

and Abuse 

If someone is abused or attacked by a 

relative, or partner or ex-partner, this 

is called domestic abuse or domestic 

violence. This is not acceptable in this 

country. Anyone who feels under threat, 

or is abused verbally, physically, sexually, 

emotionally or psychologically in their own 

home, can contact one of the domestic 

violence and abuse organisations listed. 

They will be able to give information and 

emotional support to people suffering 

domestic abuse. Some can also give 

counselling. In an emergency always call 

999 or 112. 

There are several Women’s Refuges in 

Leicester and Leicestershire which have 

places for women to go to if they have to 

leave home because of domestic abuse. 

They can bring their children with them 

if they need to. Local Authorities and the 

Adult Social Care Service can also provide 

houses for people who have left home 

because of domestic abuse. 

Domestic abuse can affect men and 

people in same-sex relationships, too. 

There is a national organisation called 

Broken Rainbow 

who can assist 

anyone affected 

by domestic 

violence and 

abuse in samesex 

relationships. 

Any victim can 

contact Victim 

Support. For any 

cases of domestic 

abuse, please 

contact the 

police. 

34 


Domestic Violence and Abuse 

Broken Rainbow 

Domestic Violence Integrated Response 

Project 

08452 60 44 60 

(Helpline) 

www.broken-rainbow.org.uk 

0116 255 0004 www.dvirp.co.uk/ 

Leicestershire Constabulary 0116 222 2222 www.leics.police.uk/ 

Loughborough Women’s Aid 

Mens Advice Line 

01509 237206 

01509 552549 

(Outreach) 

0808 801 0327 

(helpline) 

Refuge 0808 2000 247 

Respect 

Women’s Aid 0808 2000 247 

Women’s Aid Leicestershire Limited 0116 242 6440 

www.lwa.org.uk/ 

www.mensadviceline.org.uk/ 

info@refuge.org.uk 

www.refuge.org.uk 

RespectEnquiries@bss.org 

www.respect.gov.uk/ 

helpline@womensaid.org.uk 

www.womensaid.org.uk/

Work 

Part C - Work

Work 

Application and further information can be 

obtained from the Home Office Border and 

Immigration Agency. Once you have been 

working legally in the UK for 12 months, 

without interruption, you will acquire full 

free movement rights and will be able to 

obtain an EEA residence permit confirming 

your status. 

Part C - Work 

36 

Permission to Work 

in the UK – European 

Union (EU) 

If you are from a member state of the 

European Union, to work in the UK 

you must have a full EU/EEA passport 

or National Identity card of one of 

the members States of the EU/EEA or 

Switzerland. Workers from the Accession 

8 countries (Czech Republic, Estonia, 

Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, 

Slovakia and Slovenia) can access the UK 

labour market via the Worker Registration 

Scheme. 

This applies if: 

• You have started a new job since 1st 

May 2004 

• You were working in the UK before 1st 

May 2004 without authorisation. 

• You are working on a short-term or 

temporary basis 

• You are a student who is also working. 

A useful source of information 

about Nationality and Citizenship 

is the Direct.gov.uk website. 

Please click on www.direct.gov. 

uk/en/Governmentcitizensandrights/ 

LivingintheUK/DG_10015894. 

Bulgaria and Romania 

There are special procedures and 

restrictions in place for people from 

Bulgaria and Romania wanting to work 

in the UK. The Home Office Border and 

Immigration Agency has produced a 

booklet giving full information on these 

measures. They have also produced 

information in both languages. 

Information, including the booklet is 

available from the Agency and can be 

found on their website by clicking on 

www.ind.homeoffice.gov.uk/ 

workingintheuk/bulgariaromania/. It 

is important that you are aware of and 

understand this information if you are 

Bulgarian or Romanian. 


Permission to Work in the UK 

Home Office – Border and 

Immigration Agency 

0870 606 7766 

indpublicenquiries@ind.homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk 

www.ind.homeoffice.gov.uk

Coming to the UK 

– non-European Union 

(EU) nationals 

The Home Office Border and Immigration 

Agency website gives comprehensive 

information on rules and procedures for 

coming to the UK. Click on www.ind. 

homeoffice.gov.uk/newcomerstotheuk/. 

There is also information on visiting 

the UK (www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/ 

visitingtheuk/). With regard to entering 

the UK, you will note that “there are four 

types of entry clearance which are issued 

for granting permission for the holder to 

travel to or enter the United Kingdom” 

– one of these being a visa, which is 

required if you are coming from a country 

listed in the Immigration Rules. A full list 

of relevant countries can be found on the 

website. Click on: www.ukba.homeoffice. 

gov.uk/policyandlaw/immigrationlaw/ 

immigrationrules/appendix1/. 

The Border and Immigration Agency’s 

website has a useful and important section 

entitled ‘Working in the UK’ (www.ukba. 

homeoffice.gov.uk/workingintheuk/). This 

provides information for Foreign Nationals 

(from all countries – EU and otherwise) on 

the various routes available to enable them 

to legally work in the UK. 

It is important to note that as a Foreign 

National, though you may now be in the 

UK, that doesn’t necessarily mean that 

you are legally allowed to work. You may 

also only be allowed to stay in the UK for 

a limited period of time. You do need to 

check your status. Contact the Border and 

Immigration Agency if you are in any way 

unsure. The ‘Working in the UK’ section is 

fairly easy to use and full contact details 

are available should you need to speak to 

the Agency directly. 

Immigration status and how it affects 

your rights can be complicated and you 

may need to talk to an independent 

immigration adviser. You can find your 

nearest immigration adviser by phoning 

Community Legal Advice or visiting 

their website (www.clsdirect.org.uk). To 

telephone them is free and the number 

is 0845 345 4 345. Community Legal 

Advice offer free, confidential and 

independent legal advice for people living 

in England and Wales. 

Part C - Work 

37 


Coming to the UK 


Home Office – Working in the UK 0870 606 7766 www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/workingintheuk/

Part C - Work 

38 

Help to Find Work 

If you are looking for a job in 

Leicestershire, many organisations list 

their job vacancies in the local papers (for 

example, the Leicester Mercury). Some job 

vacancies are also listed on the internet. 

Jobcentre Plus is an organisation that 

can help you to look for a job. As well as 

having details of job vacancies, they can 

advise on looking for work, applying for 

jobs, preparing for job interviews, safe job 

searching, and starting your own business. 

They can also tell you how to claim 

State benefits. Jobcentre Plus has offices 

throughout the UK where computerised 

touch-screen terminals called jobpoints 

enable you to find information about jobs 

locally and nationally. You do not have to 

be unemployed to use this service which 

is provided free of charge. In Leicester and 

Leicestershire you can find Jobcentre Plus 

offices in Leicester, Coalville, Hinckley, 

Loughborough, Market Harborough 

and Melton Mowbray. There is also a 

Jobcentre Plus office in Oakham (Rutland). 

Opening hours can vary. See the list on 

page 39 »» for details of your nearest 

Jobcentre Plus office or visit the websites: 

www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk or www.dwp. 

gov.uk. 

movement of workers. The EURES system 

circulates job vacancies and gives access 

to up-to-date information in each EEA 

Member State via a computer network. 

EEA internationals looking for employment 

may register their CV’s (Curriculum 

Vitae – a document listing your personal 

history, including qualifications, previous 

employment etc) on the website. 

Registered employers then use the service 

to search for suitable applicants who they 

are then able to contact directly. 

In recent years, Polish and Eastern 

European recruitment agencies have 

become very active in meeting the 

employment needs of migrant workers 

from these countries and UK businesses 

wishing to employ them. 

A number of such 

agencies are included 

in the contact list 

at the end of this 

chapter. 

There are organisations that specialise 

in finding employment for people from 

European or other countries, including 

specific European countries. Euro Joblink 

and EURES, the European Employment 

Services may be able to help. EURES is a 

partnership between all the employment 

services in the EEA to support free


Help to Find Work 

Business Link 0845 600 9 006 www.businesslink.gov.uk 

Department for Work and 

Pensions 

Labour Providers 

Labour providers supply workers directly 

to employers. They are sometimes called 

gangmasters. Labour providers must 

be licensed and are subject to strict 

standards. 

If you think you are being treated unfairly 

by a labour provider, you can contact the 

www.dwp.gov.uk/ 

EURES 0800 4080 4080 www.europa.eu.int/eures 

Euro Joblink 01637 839399 www.mpc.com.pl/eurojoblink 

Gangmasters Licensing 

Authority (GLA) 

0845 602 5020 www.gla.gov.uk/ 

Jobcentre Plus (JCP) 0845 606 0234 www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk/ 

ROSE – information 

for qualified healthcare 

professionals 

Jobcentre Plus local offices 

www.rose.nhs.uk/index.html 

Coalville 01530 503800 www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk 

Hinckley 01455 542000 www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk 

Leicester 0116 252 9000 www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk 

Loughborough 01509 831000 www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk 

Market Harborough 01858 473900 www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk 

Melton Mowbray 01664 534200 www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk 

Oakham (Rutland) 01572 654100 www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk 

Gangmasters’ Licensing Authority (GLA) 

or contact Community Legal Advice. The 

GLA website address is www.gla.gov. 

uk and their telephone number is 0845 

602 5020. You can actually check who 

is a licensed labour provider by doing a 

search on the GLA Public Register. At the 

time of writing (April 2008), there are 17 

licensed labour providers in Leicestershire, 

Leicester and Rutland. 

Part C - Work 

39 


Polish/Eastern European employment agencies 

Ania’s Poland (Polish worker 

recruitment agency) 

Baltic Workers (Polish 

Recruitment Agency) 

Free Labour 

0208 769 0509 

07932 741060 

info@aniaspoland.com 

www.aniaspoland.com/ 

01429 852136 info@balticrecruitment.co.uk 

www.balticrecruitment.co.uk/ 

www.freelabour.co.uk/ 

LSJ Recruitment (Polish 

Recruitment Agency) 

WielkaBrytania.org (Polish 

employment organisation) 

0048 91 814 52 

52 

0048 504 060500 

recruitment@lsj.pl 

www.pracuj.info/ 

biuro@wielkabrytania.org 

www.wielkabrytania.org/anglia_praca/index.php

Part C - Work 

40 

Tips on Applying 

for Jobs 

Employers will state how they want people 

to apply for jobs. Usually this will be either 

by sending in your Curriculum Vitae (CV) 

or Résumé with a covering letter, or by 

completing an application form. 

The next stage is usually a job interview 

at the workplace. You will be interviewed 

by at least one or two people. You should 

expect to provide proof of your right to 

work in the UK. This is also an opportunity 

for you to ask any questions of your 

prospective employer. Usually these will 

be around working conditions and career 

advancement opportunities, but don’t be 

afraid to ask about other things that are 

relevant and may be of concern to you. 

How you present yourself at the job 

application and interview stages is 

important and may be different from the 

way things are done in your home country. 

You can get some good advice on interview 

skills from Jobcentre Plus or by visiting the 

Direct.gov.uk website. Click on 

www.direct.gov.uk/en/Employment/ 

Jobseekers/LookingForWork/DG_ 

10029993. 

Self-Employment 

You may want to start your own business. 

This is known as being self-employed. It 

is a good idea to get advice before you 

start your business. You may be able to get 

financial or other help to start up. Business 

Link gives practical advice for businesses 

including information on starting up and 

grants, and online tools to help you. Their 

website address is www.businesslink.gov. 

uk and their telephone number is 

0845 600 9 006. 

Starting a business may affect your 

immigration status, so you should talk 

to an independent immigration adviser 

before you do so. You can find your nearest 

immigration advice provider through 

Community Legal Advice. 

Your Rights at Work 

Contract of Employment 

When you start work you should be given 

an employment contract. The terms and 

conditions of employment need to be 

agreed between you and your employer. 

You should make sure you fully understand 

what is written in the contract before you 

sign it. It should include details of how, 

and how often, you will be paid, and the 

conditions of your employment, including

disciplinary procedures. Your employer 

could pay your wages straight into your 

bank account, or give them to you as a 

cheque or cash. 

You can find out more about your 

employment rights on www.berr.gov.uk/ 

employment/index.html or www.direct. 

gov.uk/en/Employment/Employees/index. 

htm. 

Taxation and National 

Insurance (NI) Contributions 

Most people in the UK pay Income Tax 

and National Insurance (NI). Income tax 

is based on how much you earn. National 

Insurance is paid to the Government and 

contributes to state pensions, welfare 

benefits and the National Health Service 

(NHS). 

Income Tax and National Insurance 

contributions are taken directly from 

your pay as soon as you earn more than 

the lower earnings limit. Anyone who is 

physically present in Britain for six months 

or more in any tax year is regarded as 

resident for tax purposes. You should 

receive a pay slip from your employer 

which shows details of all the deductions 

that have been made. Everyone needs a 

National Insurance Number before they 

can start work or claim any benefits. Your 

employer should help you to get a National 

Insurance Number, or call 

0845 600 0643 (and for the hard of 

hearing, or those with speech difficulties 

0845 600 0644). 

Working Conditions 

Most workers have a basic 37 or 40 hour 

working week with a minimum of 4 weeks 

annual holiday entitlement. Your employer 

should give you rest breaks and put limits 

on your working hours (some jobs are not 

covered by these specific rules, but in 

general you must be given rest breaks). 

• You must have at least a 20 minute 

break if your shift is longer than 6 

hours. 

• You must have 11 consecutive hours not 

at work during a 24 hour period. 

• You should not have to work more than 

48 hours in a week, on average. 

• You should get at least 1 day off in a 

week, or 2 days off in every 2 weeks. 

• You should receive paid holiday leave. 

This should be 4 weeks per year, 

building up from your first day at work. 

This may include Bank Holidays such 

as Christmas (in December), but some 

employers give these as extras. 

• Your contract of employment should 

state how much you will be paid if you 

are off work because you are ill. This 

is known as sick pay. The minimum 

amount you are entitled to is Statutory 

Sick Pay (SSP) if you are away from 

work for four consecutive days or more. 

Your employer may pay you more than 

this. 

Part C - Work 

41 

If you are self-employed it is up to you to 

pay income tax and NI direct to the UK 

Government department.

Some people are employed on a contract 

basis (also called ‘piece work’) – they are 

paid for the amount of work they do, not 

employed for a certain number of hours 

per week. The rules are different for this 

kind of work. 

Full details of working time regulations 

can be found on www.berr.gov.uk/ 

employment/employment-legislation/ 

working-time-regs/index.html. 

Part C - Work 

42 

National Minimum Wage 

There is a law in the UK that says that 

your employer should pay you no less than 

a certain amount for the work you do. This 

amount is called the National Minimum 

Wage. There is a National Minimum Wage 

helpline for more information but these are 

the figures at the moment of writing. 

• For people doing agricultural work, there 

are different minimum wages. These 

are worked out for people of different 

ages, and people doing different types of 

work. The Grade 1 pay rate (the lowest) 

for workers over compulsory school 

age is £5.52 per hour. For first year 

apprentices, the rate is £3.46 per hour. 

These figures were re-set in October 

2007. 

• For people who do non-agricultural 

work, this is £5.52 per hour for people 

aged over 22, £4.60 for people aged 

18-21 and £3.40 for 16 and 17 year 

olds. (These figures were re-set in 

October 2007). 

• If you are paid by piece work (a certain 

amount for every item you finish), 

employers must make a fair assessment 

of how many pieces an average worker 

can complete in an hour, and pay them 

fairly for it. The assessment and piece 

rate must allow workers to earn the 

National Minimum Wage. 

Health and Safety at Work 

Your employer has a duty to make sure 

that you are safe at work. They must make 

sure you have the right safety clothing, 

and are properly protected. They must also 

ensure that your place of work is not a fire 

risk. There must be signs to tell you where 

to go if there is a fire, and there should be 

fire extinguishers near by. You should be 

given proper instruction on how to use any 

equipment.

Childcare 

Children are legally protected and it is your 

responsibility to ensure that your children 

are safe and well cared for. See the section 

on ‘Looking After Children’. Choosing 

good quality childcare, if you need to, is 

therefore very important. 

Every child aged 3 or 4 is entitled to free 

childcare from the start of term after their 

3rd birthday. In April 2008 this Nursery 

Education entitlement increased to 15 

hours per week and can be taken flexibly 

to suit parents needs. For more information 

contact the Family Information Service 

(details below and on page 82 »» ). 

The County Council’s Children and 

Young People’s Service provides a Family 

Information Service (FIS). This service 

is friendly, confidential and impartial. 

Its aim is to help parents and families 

to find information on all types of issues 

concerning childcare and children, 

including details of: 

• Childcare providers 

• Help with childcare costs 

• Toy libraries 

• Family support services 

• Health 

• Leisure activities 

• Parenting support 

The number for the FIS in Leicestershire 

is 0116 3056545. If you live in Leicester 

City, the Children’s Information Service 

(CIS) number is 0800 952 5678. If you 

live in Rutland, the Children’s Information 

Service (CIS) number is 01572 722577 

(the main number for Rutland County 

Council). 

You can also find out about childcare from 

the national ChildcareLink. 

Children at Work 

There are restrictions on the hours and 

types of paid work which children aged 

13-16 can undertake. The minimum age 

for employment is 13. The rules apply to 

children from 13 up to school leaving age; 

children are still of compulsory school 

age until the last Friday in June in the 

school year in which they become 16. 

The hours and types of work allowable 

and not allowable are contained in a 

leaflet available from Leicestershire County 

Council (telephone 0116 305 6587 or 

0116 305 6597). The employer must 

apply for an employment permit from the 

Local Authority, which must be signed 

by the employer and the child’s parent or 

guardian. 

Part C - Work 

43

Part C - Work 

44 

Trade Unions 

Trade unions are associations of workers 

which exist to support workers and protect 

their rights. British trade unions will 

represent migrant workers and campaign 

on their behalf. There are many different 

unions covering all occupations and 

industries. The Trades Union Congress 

(TUC) represents all the Trades Unions, 

and they can give advice on which union 

to join. Workers join unions so they can 

voice their opinion collectively and get 

support if they have a problem at work. It 

may be too late to join after you run into 

trouble. 

Unions can help provide learning and 

skills training at work. This can include 

English courses. Contact Unionlearn with 

the Midlands TUC (who are based in 

Birmingham, but have an outreach office 

in Leicester). Unions charge a weekly 

subscription by direct debit. The amount 

varies and there can be discounts for new 

entrants or the low paid. You can expect to 

pay around £2 a week. 

Different Unions for people who work in 

specific types of job 

Amicus 

GMB 

TGWU 

UCATT 

Unison 

USDAW 

manufacturing, finance, 

health, printing and publishing. 

manufacturing, food and drink, 

tourism and public services. 

transport, food and drink, 

hotels and manufacturing. 

people who do construction 

work. 

public services. This is the 

largest union. 

food and drink, shops and 

distribution work. 

There are also a number of trades unions 

for teachers, including the National Union 

of Teachers (NUT). 

Membership of Professional 

Organisations 

If you are a skilled worker, or belonged to a 

profession in your home country, you may 

be able to join a professional organisation 

in this country. There are many of these, 

and you should ask either your own 

country’s organisation, or enquire through 

your employer about which organisations 

might be appropriate. 

Your Employer should not: 

• Keep your passport. They can take a 

copy of it for their records, but they 

must give it back to you. 

• Take more than £30.10 per week 

of your pay for accommodation they 

provide for you. This amount was set in 

October 2007, and may go up slightly 

each year. The daily rate equates 

to £4.15 (set in October 2006). 

Please contact the National 

Minimum Wage helpline for the 

latest figure. 

• Take money 

from your pay 

for your food.

You should also know that there is not a 

limit on what an employer can take from 

your pay for transport. Be careful that you 

are not being exploited. 

If you work for an agency that is treating 

you badly and you think it might be 

breaching the law you can report it 

to the Employment Agency Standards 

Inspectorate that regulates agencies. 


Your Rights at Work 

ChildcareLink 0800 2 346346 www.childcarelink.gov.uk 

Children’s Information Service 

– Leicester City 

Children’s Information Service 

– Rutland 

Defra agricultural wages 

helpline 

Department for Business 

Enterprise and Regulatory 

Reform (BERR) 

Department of Work and 

Pensions 

Employment Agency 

Standards Inspectorate 

Family Information Service 

– Leicestershire 

0800 952 5678 early.years@leicester.gov.uk 

01572 722577 enquiries@rutland.gov.uk 

0845 000 0134 www.defra.gov.uk 

0207 215 5000 

enquiries@berr.gsi.gov.uk 

www.berr.gov.uk/ 

www.dwp.gov.uk 

0845 955 5105 www.berr.gov.uk/ 

0116 305 6545 childcare@leics.gov.uk 

HM Revenue & Customs 0845 010 9000 www.hmrc.gov.uk 

National Minimum Wage 

helpline 

Trades Union Congress 

– “Know your rights” 

Trades Unions 

Amicus (East Midlands 

Region) 

0845 600 0678 

www.hmrc.gov.uk/nmw/ or 

www.dti.gov.uk/employment/pay/nationalminimum-wage/index.html 

0870 600 4882 www.worksmart.org.uk 

01332 548400 

GMB (Leicester Office) 0116 251 0922 

michelle.wynne@unitetheunion.com 

www.amicustheunion.org/ 

cheryl.pidgeon@gmb.org.uk 

www.gmb.org.uk/ 

NUT (Midlands Region) 01785 244129 www.teachers.org.uk/ 

Trades Union Congress (TUC) 

– Midlands Region 

TGWU (Midlands Region) 

0121 236 4454 www.tuc.org.uk/ 

0121 553 6051 

0116 253 2020 

kgreenway@tgwu.org.uk 

www.tgwu.org.uk/ 

UCATT (Midlands Region) 01332 203656 www.ucatt.org.uk/ 

Unionlearn – Midlands Region 0121 236 4454 

Unison (East Midlands Region) 0115 847 5400 

USDAW (Kegworth Office) 01509 686900 

unionlearnmidlands@tuc.org.uk 

www.unionlearn.org.uk/ 

eastmidlands@unison.co.uk 

www.unisoneast-midlands.org.uk/ 

kegworth@usdaw.org.uk 

www.usdaw.org.uk/ 

Part C - Work 

45

Changing Jobs 

If you change jobs, you will need to 

renew your registration with the Worker 

Registration Scheme but you will not have 

to make any further payment. You can find 

out more from the Home Office. 

Community Council (Leicestershire and 

Rutland) focuses on rural communities 

and improving the life of people living and 

working in rural areas. Organisations such 

as these can link members of the public to 

groups that are of interest to them. 

Part C - Work 

Voluntary and 

Community Work 

If you want to do some voluntary work in 

your local community, there are a number 

of organisations that can help. Councils 

for Voluntary Service (CVS) or Voluntary 

Actions exist in each of the boroughs/ 

districts of Leicestershire. Voluntary 

Action Leicester (VAL) is situated in the 

heart of the city of Leicester. The Rural 


Voluntary and Community Work 

Council of Ethnic Minority 

Voluntary Sector Organisations 

0208 432 0000 

CVS Community Partnership 0116 234 1577 

Volunteering is a good way of making new 

friends, improving the standard of your 

spoken and written English and keeping 

you involved in areas of work or interest 

that you may have had before coming 

to the UK. It is also, of course, a great 

method of giving something back to the 

community and helping people around 

you. 

enquiries@cemvo.org.uk 

www.cemvo.org.uk/ 

info@ccp.org.uk 

www.ccp.org.uk 

46 

Voluntary Action North West 


Rural Community Council 

(Leics & Rutland) 

01530 510515 mail@nwlcvs.org.uk 

0116 266 2905 www.ruralcc.org.uk 

Voluntary Action Charnwood 01509 631750 www.voluntaryactioncharnwood.org.uk/ 

Voluntary Action Leicester 

(VAL) 

0116 258 0666 www.voluntaryactionleicester.org.uk 

Voluntary Action Melton 01664 483043 www.voluntaryactionmelton.org.uk 

Voluntary Action Rutland 01572 722622 www.varutland.org.uk/ 

Voluntary Action South 


01858 433232 www.slcvs.org.uk/ 

Voluntary Action Blaby District 0116 272 7669 www.voluntaryactionblabydistrict.org.uk 

Voluntary Action Hinckley and 

Bosworth 

Voluntary Action for Oadby 

and Wigston 

01455 615 962 www.vahb.org.uk 

0116 281 0026 www.vaow.org.uk

Part D - Benefits and legal advice 

Benefits 

a n d l e g a l a d v i c e

Part D - Benefits and Legal Advice 

48 

Benefits 

If you have just entered the UK, the 

benefits you can get will depend on one or 

more of the following: 

• National Insurance contributions 

• Whether you are living or usually live in 

Great Britain 

• Why you have come or returned to Great 

Britain 

• Whether your entry to Great Britain is 

subject to limitations 

If you have not lived and worked in the 

UK, you will not normally have paid 

National Insurance contributions here, 

and so will not be entitled to contributory 

benefits. However there may be 

circumstances where you may be able to 

get some benefits. 

dwp.gov.uk/lifeevent/workage/wa_visit_or_ 

living_abroad.asp. For further information 

on benefits go to www.direct.gov.uk/en/ 

MoneyTaxAndBenefits/index.htm. 

The Department for Work and Pensions 

also produces a leaflet entitled ‘Coming 

from abroad and getting your benefits’. 

This is available in ten languages (Arabic, 

Bengali, Chinese, English, Gujarati, 

Punjabi, Somali, Urdu, Vietnamese and 

Welsh) and is available at 

www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk/jcp/stellent/ 

groups/jcp/documents/websitecontent/ 

dev_012318.pdf. 

Types of Benefits 

Types of Benefits in the UK include the 

following: 

• Child Benefit 

• Council Tax Benefit 

• Disabled Person’s Tax Credits 

• Disability Living Allowance 

• Housing Benefit 

• Incapacity Benefit 

• Income Support 

• Jobseeker’s Allowance 

• Working Families Tax Credits 

Transferring Benefits 

In order to claim any benefits in the UK 

that you qualified for in another country 

in the EU/EEA, you will need to take 

certificate E301 or E303 (from the social 

security office in your own country) to your 

local Jobcentre Plus Office to make a claim 

for benefits. This includes benefits because 

of unemployment, illness, invalidity and 

maternity. 

You can get details on the website www.

Free Advice 

You can get free advice about your rights, 

and many other subjects from Citizens 

Advice Bureaux. 

There are Bureaux or Outreach Offices in 

a variety of locations – Blaby, Braunstone 

Town, Broughton Astley, Coalville (North 

West Leicestershire), Enderby, Glenfield, 

Hinckley, Leicester, Loughborough 

(Charnwood), Lutterworth, Market 

Harborough, Melton Mowbray, Oakham, 

Shepshed, Stoney Stanton, Syston and 

Wigston. They also have a helpful website 

www.citizensadvice.org.uk/ (and 

www.adviceguide.org.uk/). 

Community Legal Advice is an alternative 

source of helpful advice as they can 

help you find a benefits adviser. Visit 

their website (www.clsdirect.org.uk) or 

telephone them on 0845 345 4 345. 


Citizens Advice Bureaux 

Blaby 0844 848 9009 www.slcab.org.uk/ 

Braunstone Town 

0844 848 9009 

0116 289 0045 

www.slcab.org.uk/ 

Broughton Astley 0844 848 9009 www.slcab.org.uk/ 

Charnwood 01509 267376 www.charnwoodcab.org.uk/ 

Enderby 0844 848 9009 www.slcab.org.uk/ 

Glenfield 

0844 848 9009 

0116 231 2498 

www.slcab.org.uk/ 

Hinckley 0870 120 2401 hinckleycab@supanet.com 

Leicester 0116 285 2801 

Part D - Benefits and Legal Advice 

Lutterworth 0844 848 9009 www.slcab.org.uk/ 

Market Harborough 0844 848 9009 www.slcab.org.uk/ 

49 

Melton Mowbray 01664 484050 

bureau@meltoncabnet.org 

www.meltoncab.org.uk 

North West 


0870 120 2402 

01530 454751 

northwestleics-cab@tiscali.co.uk 

http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/nwlcab/ 

Rutland (in Oakham) 0845 120 3705 www.rutlandcab.org.uk/ 

Shepshed 01509 506663 www.charnwoodcab.org.uk/ 

Stoney Stanton 0844 848 9009 www.slcab.org.uk/ 

Syston 01509 267376 www.charnwoodcab.org.uk/ 

Wigston 0870 126 4192

Housing 

Part E - Housing

If you are working in Leicestershire for an agency, you may already have somewhere to 

live provided by that agency. There are rules which say how many people should live 

in certain types of property, to prevent overcrowding and fire hazards and to make sure 

that the property is a good enough standard so as not to affect your health. If you want 

to know whether your home meets these standards, or think it is not safe, contact the 

Environmental Health Section at your local District or Borough Council (Leicester City 

Council if you live in the city). They will give you free advice. Your landlord does not need 

to know that you have contacted them. 

There are also rules which say how much money an employer may deduct from your 

wages to pay for housing, if they are providing it for you. The chapter on ‘Working in 

Leicestershire’ will tell you more about this. 

Part E - Housing 

52 

Finding a Place to Live 

If you have to find your own place to live, 

you will probably need to look for privately 

rented housing. Borough or District 

Councils will be able to provide you with 

advice and support to help you to find a 

place to live. 

Housing in Leicestershire can be 

expensive, both to buy and to rent, though 

it does depend on the area. There is also a 

wide gap in price ranges for properties in 

the city of Leicester, again depending on 

the area. 

You should look in the local papers for 

houses to rent, and register with letting 

agencies. Some of the Borough or 

District Councils may be able to give you 

lists of agencies which rent houses. Be 

careful whether you rent a “furnished” 

or “unfurnished” house. Unfurnished will 

be cheaper, but you will have to find any 

furniture you need. Tenancy agreements 

also vary in terms of length but many are 

for a period of 6 months.

Housing Advice 

For free advice on housing and housing 

problems, you can contact the local 

District or Borough Council (see 

«« page 13 Or Leicester City Council if 

you live or wish to live in the city). Shelter 

and Citizens Advice Bureaux (see Chapter 

6) can also give free advice. Shelter has a 

local office on Welford Road in Leicester 

– the Leicestershire Shelter Housing Aid 

and Research Project (SHARP). 

You should have some type of agreement 

between you (the tenant) and the person 

who owns the house you live in (known as 

a landlord). This might be called a tenancy 

agreement or contract. They may give you 

a rent book to keep a list of when you have 

paid them rent. You will usually have to 

pay money to the landlord (known as a 

deposit or bond) as well as some rent in 

advance. This deposit should be returned 

to you at the end of the tenancy. 

Refuse Collection and 

Recycling 

Refuse (the rubbish you need to throw 

away) and recycling (items such as paper, 

glass and cans) are collected by Borough/ 

District Councils throughout Leicestershire 

and also by Leicester City Council if you 

live in the City area and Rutland County 

Council. 


53 

The arrangements for collections for both 

refuse and recycling vary in each area. 

For example, some Councils collect waste 

each week whilst others collect each 

fortnight.


54 

Each Council has specific containers and 

bins for the different items they collect, so 

it is very important to contact your Local 

Authority or check their website to find out 

how their systems work. 

To get information about Districts within 

Leicestershire and the County Council, 

please click on: 

www.leics.gov.uk/new_ 

servicepagestheme.htminitial=&pid=53 

3&theme=T4 

For details about the Leicester City 

scheme, please click on: 

www.leicester.gov.uk/your-council-- 

services/cl/waste-and-cleansing/domesticwaste-collection 

For information on services in Rutland, 

please click on: 

www.rutland.gov.uk/pp/service/directory. 

aspid=5407&Tree=5254,5391&DetailI 

D=2598 

Recycling Bring Banks 

In addition to the recycling collections 

operated by the District/Borough Councils, 

there are recycling bring banks situated 

in many places such as in local car parks 

and shopping centres. Again, a list of 

where your nearest bring banks are located 

is available from your local Council. 

Alternatively, click on: 

www.leics.gov.uk/new_ 


4&theme=T4 

Household Waste 

Recycling Sites 

There are 14 household waste recycling 

sites located around Leicestershire where 

you can dispose of surplus waste. At each 

of these sites you will also find recycling 

facilities and facilities for disposing of 

larger recyclable items such as cookers 

and fridges. 

Household Waste Sites can be found in 

Barwell, Bottesford, Coalville, Kibworth, 

Loughborough, Lount, Lutterworth, 

Market Harborough, Melton Mowbray, 

Oadby, Shepshed, Sileby, Somerby and 

Whetstone.

There are two Community Recycling 

Centres in Leicester itself – in Bridge Road 

(off Spence Street) and in Islington Street 

(Freemens Common). 

Please click on this link to find details of 

the sites within Leicestershire: 

www.leics.gov.uk/index/environment/ 

waste/recycling_household_waste_sites. 

htm#map_recycling_household_waste_ 

sites 


the sites within Leicester City: 

www.leicester.gov.uk/your-council- 

-services/cl/waste-and-cleansing/ 

community-recycling-centres 


recycling sites in Rutland: 

www.rutland.gov.uk/pp/service/directory. 

aspid=5407&Tree=5254,5391&DetailI 

D=2605 


Accessplace 

(website) 


Shelter Housing Aid 

& Research Project 

(SHARP) 

Shelter 0808 800 4444 

Refuse Collection and Recycling 

Groundwork 

Leicester and 


Leicester City 

Council 


County Council 

Rutland County 

Council 

www.accessplace.com/housing-association.eastmidlands/ 

0116 254 6064 mail@leicestershelter.org.uk 

0116 222 0222 

info@shelter.org.uk 

www.shelter.org.uk 

enquiries@gwll.org.uk 

www.gwll.org.uk 

0116 252 7002 Customer.services@leicester.gov.uk 

0116 305 0001 

wastemgt@leics.gov.uk 

www.leics.gov.uk/index/environment/waste.htm 

01572 722577 enquiries@rutland.gov.uk 

Campaigns and Events 

The County and Borough/District 

Councils are working to promote more 

sustainable waste management practices, 

running regular events, competitions and 

campaigns. For more information click on: 

www.leics.gov.uk/index/environment/ 

waste/recycling_waste_reduction_ 

schemes.htm 

Groundwork Leicester and Leicestershire is 

an independent charity that offers advice 

and practical help to make communities 

more sustainable, by focusing on things 

such as recycling and renewable energy. 


55

Health 

Part F - Health

Part F - Health 

58 

Public healthcare in Leicestershire 

is provided by the National Health 

Service (NHS). There are four different 

organisations (called ‘NHS Trusts’) which 

form the NHS in Leicestershire. There is 

also a strategic Health Authority for the 

East Midlands. 

In addition, the Patient Advice and Liaison 

Service (PALS) provide information, advice 

and support for patients, families and 

carers. They also provide information on 

the NHS and other health-related services 

and listen to concerns, comments and 

suggestions as well as answering queries. 

Information on PALS in Leicestershire can 

be found on http://www.leics.gov.uk/new_ 

servicepagestheme.htminitial=&pid=Oth 

er003&theme=T7 

NHS Direct 

0845 4647 

This service is available 24 hours a day, 

seven days a week. If you are worried 

about your health or the health of a family 

member, qualified nurses can give free 

and confidential advice and information. 

NHS Direct also has lists of doctors, 

dentists and hospitals in your area. NHS 

Direct uses Language Line, the telephone 

interpreting service. Ask for your language 

when the operator answers. 

Emergency Treatment 

You can get free emergency treatment from 

the Accident and Emergency (also called 

A & E or Casualty) department or Minor 

Injuries Unit (MIU) at a hospital. You do 

not need to be registered with a doctor to 

use these services at hospitals. A & E’s 

are generally for more serious accidents 

than Minor Injury Units. There is an A & 

E department at Leicester Royal Infirmary. 

There are MIU’s in most hospitals. 

In Leicester and Leicestershire, there are 

major hospitals in Leicester and smaller 

hospitals in Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Coalville, 

Hinckley, Loughborough, Lutterworth, 

Market Harborough and Melton Mowbray. 

The Rutland Memorial Hospital is in 

Oakham. 

For information on hospitals, go to the 

main NHS Choices website (www.nhs.uk). 

You can do a search at the top of the page 

(left hand side) for your nearest hospital. 

You can also compare hospital treatment 

and facilities by clicking on the ‘Compare 

Hospitals’ item. 

There are also private (fee-paying) 

hospitals in Leicester. 

If someone is too ill or badly hurt to get to 

hospital by themselves, you can call for 

an ambulance. Dial 999 or 112 free of 

charge and ask for ‘ambulance’. You will 

be asked to give the telephone number 

you are ringing from and explain what is 

wrong. 

If your illness or condition does not require 

emergency treatment, you should go to see 

a Doctor. You can also call NHS Direct on 

0845 4647.

Doctors 

You can register with a local doctor or 

GP (General Practitioner) near to where 

you live. GPs work in offices known 

as surgeries. GPs can give advice and 

treatment for minor illnesses and diseases, 

and also many other things such as mental 

illness, vaccinations, pregnancy and 

advice about drug and alcohol misuse. GP 

surgeries are managed by the two Primary 

Care Trusts (PCT) – Leicester City PCT and 

Leicestershire County and Rutland PCT. 

They will be able to tell you about GPs in 

your local area. You can get a list of GPs 

in your area from the Patient Registration 

Department, which covers both City and 

County (telephone 0116 295 7887). They 

can also assist you to register with a GP if 

you are having difficulty. 

You are expected to keep doctors 

appointments unless you tell the 

doctor’s surgery that you cannot attend. 

Appointments are free and confidential. 

The GP will diagnose (tell you what is 

wrong) your health problem and may refer 

you to other health services. 

If you need to see a GP at night or at 

weekends, telephone the surgery. There 

will be a recorded message telling you how 

to contact a doctor. 

also be able to advise you about common 

health problems and medication. You 

can find details of your local pharmacy in 

the phone book. If a doctor gives you a 

prescription for medicines, you will need 

to take the prescription to a pharmacist. 

You may have to pay to get the medicine, 

but some people are exempt from charges 

and you should ask about this when you 

present the prescription. You may be able 

to get medicines at a pharmacy without a 

prescription (known as ‘over the counter 

medicines’), where you will need to pay for 

them. 

Dentists 

Some dentists in Leicestershire accept 

NHS patients, although this treatment 

is not always free. Information on NHS 

dentists can be obtained from either of the 

two Primary Care Trusts (depending on 

where you live). 


59 

In an emergency, telephone 999 or 112 

and ask for an ambulance. You can also 

seek advice from NHS Direct. 

Pharmacists 

Pharmacists (who work 

in pharmacies, also 

known as chemists) may 

For dental emergencies, contact the 

Leicestershire NHS Dental Access Centre 

in Nelson Street in Leicester. The phone 

number is 0116 295 1278. If you have 

been resident in the UK for more than 6 

months, you are entitled to NHS dental 

care, if you can find a dentist who will 

register you as a new NHS patient. 

Of course, there is also the option of going

privately for your dental health, though this 

can be costly. Information can be found in 

the telephone directory, Yellow Pages or by 

doing a search on the Internet. 

Opticians 

Opticians can test your eyesight and 

prescribe spectacles or contact lenses. 

You will have to pay for the eye test and 

spectacles or lenses, although you may be 

eligible for treatment at a reduced cost. 

Ask the optician about this. 

Interpreters Available 

If you need an interpreter, it is the 

responsibility of your hospital, GP surgery, 

dentist or optician to arrange for one, at 

no charge to you. It is important that you 

have an interpreter for medical matters, 

so that the medical staff can understand 

you, and give you the right treatment. It 

is best if family members are not used to 

interpret in health matters, as you may not 

wish to discuss sensitive issues in front of 

a relative. 


60 

You can find an optician through Yellow 

Pages (either the phone book or online on 

www.yell.co.uk). Alternatively look on the 

Access Place website link for opticians 

in Leicester and Leicestershire (www. 

accessplace.com/optician/leicestershire/ 

leicester.htm). This link includes opticians 

in Oakham in Rutland. 

Health Information in 

Community Languages 

There are a number of useful websites that 

contain health information in a number 

of different languages. These include the 

following: 

• Equip (NHS sponsored website) – 

www.equip.nhs.uk/index.html#top 

• MyPIL Resource (Health – online multilingual 

patient resource) – 

www.mypil.info/ 

• Sounds Healthy – www.surgerydoor. 

co.uk/3cities/index_audio.html


NHS Choices 

www.nhs.uk 

NHS Direct 0845 4647 www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk/ 

NHS East Midlands (East Midlands Strategic 

Health Authority) 

NHS Trusts in Leicestershire 

0115 968 4444 

Leicester City Primary Care Trust 0116 295 1400 

Leicestershire County and Rutland Primary 

Care Trust 

Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust 

– Mental Health 

University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust 

communications@eastmidlands.nhs.uk 

www.eastmidlands.nhs.uk 

enquiries@leicestercitypct.nhs.uk 

www.leicestercitypct.nhs.uk/xform.asp 

0116 295 7500 www.lcrpct.nhs.uk/xform.asp 

0116 225 6000 

Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) in Leicestershire 

feedback@leicspart.nhs.uk 

www.leicspt.nhs.uk/xform.asp 

www.uhl-tr.nhs.uk/ 

Leicester City PALS 0116 295 7011 pals@leicestercitypct.nhs.uk 

Leicestershire County and Rutland 01455 441971 

Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust PALS 0116 225 6647 


(General Hospital) 


(Glenfield Hospital) 


(Leicester Royal Infirmary) 

Hospitals in Leicestershire 

0116 258 8295 

Ashby and District Hospital 01530 566900 

Bupa Hospital Leicester (fee-paying) 0116 265 3686 

Coalville Community Hospital 01530 467400 

Feilding Palmer Cottage Hospital 

– Lutterworth 

0116 256 3100 As above 

0116 258 6344 As above 

01455 552150 

Glenfield Hospital 0116 287 1471 

Gorse Hill Hospital 0116 225 5200 

Hinckley & Bosworth Community Hospital 01455 441800 

Leicester General Hospital 0116 249 0490 

Leicester Nuffield Hospital (fee-paying) 

0116 276 9401 

0800 688 699 

Leicester Royal Infirmary 0116 254 1414 

Loughborough Hospital 01509 611600 

Market Harborough and District Hospital 01858 410500 

Melton Mowbray Hospital 01664 854800 

Rutland Memorial Hospital (Oakham) 01572 722552 

St Luke’s Hospital – Market Harborough 01858 410300 

pals@lcrpct.nhs.uk 

www.lcrpct.nhs.uk/xform.aspfolder=Internet/ 

PALS 

pals@leicspart.nhs.uk 

www.leicspt.nhs.uk/xform.aspfolder=patient_ 

and_public_information/pals/ 

PALS@uhi-tr.nhs.uk 

www.uhl-tr.nhs.uk/patients/support-and-advice/ 

patient-advice-liaison-service-pals- 

cservice-lc@bupa.com 

www.bupahospitals.co.uk/leicester/hospital_ 

leicester.asp 

webmaster@uhl-tr.nhs.uk 




Jacquie.Harvey@nuffieldhospitals.org.uk 

www.nuffieldhospitals.org.uk/az_hospital_home. 

asphid=17 




61


62 

Adult Social Care 

Service 

The Adult Social Care Service is an 

important part of Leicestershire County 

Council. They play an essential role 

in providing support to people in the 

community who have social or special 

needs and assist them to obtain local 

services. 

For anyone with a disability and older 

people who may be in need, they can give 

support to live independently, including 

practical help and equipment (walking 

frames, hearing aids etc) and help with 

personal care (getting up, washing etc). 

They can provide blue badges for disabled 

parking, although if you have one from 

another country in Europe, you can still 

use it here. 

For people who care for older or disabled 

people they can give practical help, 

support and breaks away from the person 

they look after. 

There are Social Care offices in South 

Wigston, Hinckley, Market Harborough, 

Loughborough, Melton Mowbray and 

Coalville. 

For further information, click on http:// 

www.leics.gov.uk/index/social_services/ 

general_information/contact_info/ss_ 

contact_us_local_offices.htm 

As mentioned in a previous section (Older 

People) there is a Leicestershire County 

Council website called ‘Leicestershire 

CareOnLine’ which is a useful source of 

information on a variety of social care 

matters. 

The City of Leicester has separate 

arrangements. For further information 

contact Leicester City Council on 0116 

252 7000 or see the website 

www.leicester.gov.uk/health-social-care. 

asp. For Rutland, contact Rutland County 

Council on 01572 722577 or see their 

website www.rutland.gov.uk/pp/Gold/ 

ViewGold.aspID=4878. 


Adult Social Care Service (Leicestershire) 

Adult Social Care Service 

0116 305 

7404 

adultsocialcare@leics.gov.uk 

Emergency Duty Team (out of 0116 255 

hours) 

1606 

social-services@leics.gov.uk 

Leicestershire CareOnLine 

0116 305 leicestershirecareonline@leics.gov.uk 

7538 

www.leicscareonline.org.uk/ 

Social Care offices 

Charnwood (Pennine House) 

01509 

266641 

Hinckley (Upper Bond Street) 01455 636964 

Coalville (High Street) 

01530 

275200 

Melton (County Buildings) 01664 564698 

Harborough (Brooklands) 

01858 

465331 

South Wigston (Bassett Street) 0116 278 7111

Services for People 

with Mental ill Health 

About one in four people in this country 

have some form of mental illness during 

their lifetime. Forms of mental illness 

include stress, anxiety, depression, 

schizophrenia and dementia. 

The Leicestershire Partnership NHS 

Trust provides Mental Health and 

Learning Disability services in Leicester, 

Leicestershire and Rutland. If you have 

any concerns about mental health matters 

– yours, a friend’s or a relative’s, you can 

contact the Trust on 0116 225 6000 or 

go to see your doctor. They may arrange 

for an assessment which helps to decide 

what treatment the person needs. 

The Leicestershire Partnership NHS 

Trust provides services for adults and 

older people through teams. The teams 

include a consultant psychiatrist, nurses, 

therapists and social workers. Patients are 

mostly treated in the community, but inpatient 

services and out-patient clinics are 

also available. 

Information can be found either by 

contacting the Leicestershire Partnership 

NHS Trust directly or by looking on 

their website at www.leicspt.nhs.uk. 

Information on Mental Health is also 

available from the Leicestershire County 

Council website at www.leics.gov.uk/ 

index/social_services/mental_health.htm 

and on the LAMP website at 

www.lampdirect.org.uk. LAMP also offers 

other forms of support, including advocacy. 

Akwaaba Ayeh (www.akwaabaayeh.com/). 

provides mental health advocacy (amongst 

other things) but with a specific focus on 

African, African-Carribbean and Asian 

service users and their carers. 

The Child and Adolescent Mental Health 

Services (CAMHS) provide a range of 

services for children and young people 

experiencing emotional or behavioural 

difficulties or suffering from mental ill 

health. CAMHS in Leicester can be 

contacted by ringing 0116 225 2900. 

Age Concern also hosts a project that 

focuses on mental health for BME 

communities. The BME Community 

Development Project (‘reducing inequality 

and improving wellbeing’) are based in 

offices in Leicester. The Senior officer can 

be contacted on 0116 204 6440 and 

the Child and Adolescent Mental Health 

Services Worker on 0116 223 7367. 

The Samaritans 

The Samaritans provide confidential 

emotional support over the phone to 

anybody who is suicidal or despairing. 

Call 08457 90 90 90, or visit the website 

www.samaritans.org/ to find your nearest 

local branch (the phone book will also help 

you to do this). 


63

Help for Drug Users 

The National Drugs Helpline (FRANK) 

gives free information and advice for 

drug users and their families and friends. 

The main Helpline number is 0800 

776600, though for people with hearing 

impairments you can textphone FRANK 

on 0800 917 8765. Calls are free from 

landlines, but it will cost you if you call 

from a mobile. FRANK recognises 120 

different languages, so should you need an 

interpreter, there will be one available. 


64 

Carers Support 

If you are looking after a relative, friend or 

neighbour because of their age, sickness 

or disability, then you are a carer. As 

carers can spend most of their time 

looking after the needs of others, their 

own needs can often be overlooked. There 

is support available if you are a carer. 

Contact the Adult Social Care Service at 

either the County or City Council for more 

information. There is a lot of information 

on the Internet and a number of voluntary 

organisations that offer advice and support 

to carers. Among these are CLASP and the 

Barnardo’s CareFree Project. 

If you are concerned about alcohol as well 

as drug use, or about a friend, or someone 

in your family, contact Addaction - (see 

opposite page for details) for confidential 

help and advice. Their website has loads 

of information. You can also get help with 

drinking problems from Drinksense at 

www.drinksense.org. 

You can get help to stop smoking from 

pharmacists or from http://gosmokefree. 

nhs.uk/. The free NHS Smoking Helpline is 

0800 169 0 169. 

You can get advice from your GP on 

reducing or stopping your use of alcohol, 

nicotine or drugs. 

There is a Drugs Advice Centre in Leicester 

City Centre. The Centre’s address is 96 

New Walk and the telephone number 

is 0116 222 9555. Information can 

be found on the Leicester City Council 

website. Click on www.leicester.gov.uk/ 

index.asppgid=17412.


Other Health Services and Organisations 

Addaction 0207 251 5860 

Akwaaba Ayeh – Mental Health 0116 247 1525 

ASSIST Service – for Asylum Seekers & 

Refugees 

Barnardo’s CareFree Project 0116 286 7182 

CLASP – The Carers Centre 0116 251 0999 

Sexual Health, 

Pregnancy and 

Contraception 

Sex Advice for Young People 

Brook is a voluntary sector organisation 

that provides free confidential help and 

advice on sexual health specifically to 

young people. Though there is not a Brook 

Centre in Leicestershire, Brook can still be 

contacted on their Helpline (0800 0185 

023) and there is also useful information 

on their website (www.brook.org.uk). 

Alternatively, the Connexions Service is 

available throughout the City and County. 

There is a page on ‘Sexual Health and 

Contraception’ on their website (www. 

info@addaction.org.uk 

www.addaction.org.uk/index.html 

akwaaba@akwaabaayeh.com 

www.akwaabaayeh.com 

0116 295 2400 Address: 1a Clyde Street, Leicester 

carefree@barnardos.org.uk 

www.barnardos.org.uk/carefree 

enquiries@claspthecarerscentre.org.uk 

www.claspthecarerscentre.org.uk/ 


Drinksense 01733 555532 

Go Smoke Free (NHS) 

LAMP (Leicestershire Action for Mental 

health Project) 

0800 169 0 169 (free 

helpline) 

0116 255 6286 

Leicester Centre for Ethnic Health Research 0116 295 4140 

Leicester, Leicestershire & Rutland DAAT 0116 274 4210 

National Drugs Helpline ‘Frank’ 0800 77 66 00 

Samaritans 08457 90 90 90 

centraloffice@drinksense.org 

www.drinksense.org 

http://gosmokefree.nhs.uk/ 

lamp@lampdirect.org.uk 

www.lampdirect.org.uk/ 

Asma.Sader@leics-research.nhs.uk 

www.lcehr.nhs.uk/ 

info@drugs.org.uk 

www.drugs.org.uk/ 

frank@talktofrank.com 

www.talktofrank.com 

Jo@samaritans.org 

www.samaritans.org.uk 

connexions-leics.org/sexualhealth/default. 

asp). In addition, lots of youth centres give 

free condoms and sexual health advice 

to 14-19 year olds. Simply enquire by 

visiting them. 


65


66 

Sexual Health (GUM) Clinics 

‘Genito-Urinary Medicine’ (GUM) clinics 

are NHS run and cater for all aspects of 

sexual health, including problems relating 

to sexual organs and the urinary system. 

They are often located at a local hospital 

or attached to a local health centre. 

You can find out where your nearest 

Clinic is by calling NHS Direct on 0845 

4647 or contacting the Family Planning 

Association. Alternatively, there is a 

useful website related to Sexual Health 

Information and Advice where you can 

find your nearest clinic by accessing your 

postcode (the letter/number combination 

that appears at the end of your address 

and that usually begins with LE if you live 

in Leicestershire). Click on 

www.condomessentialwear.co.uk/gethelp. 

Trade Sexual Health 

The Trade Sexual Health Project in 

Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland 

provides information, advice, resources 

and support to men who have sex with 

men and women who have sex with 

women. Further information can be found 

on their website by clicking on 

www.tradesexualhealth.com/. 

Sexually Transmitted Diseases 

(STDs) and Health 

The National AIDS Helpline (0800 

567123) provides free and confidential 

counselling and advice about HIV, AIDS, 

sexual health, local services, clinics and 

support services. They can give advice in 

other languages in the evenings (6.00 pm 

to 10.00 pm) on freephone 

0800 917 2227, as follows: 

Cantonese 

Bengali 

Urdu 

Arabic 

Gujarati 

Hindi 

Punjabi 

Sunday 

Monday 

Tuesday 

Wednesday 

Thursday 

Friday 

Saturday 

There is also an African AIDS Helpline 

(0800 096 7500). Calls are free and 

confidential and are available in English, 

French, Shona, Swahili and Luganda. 

Leicestershire AIDS Support Services 

(LASS) is an independent voluntary 

organisation based in Leicester, but 

providing a range of services throughout 

the City of Leicester and the Counties of 

Leicestershire and Rutland, for people 

affected by HIV/AIDS. LASS also has an 

important preventative and educational 

role in the promotion of positive sexual 

health, for example using condoms to 

prevent disease. 

Contraception 

Contraception (also known as family 

planning) is legal in the UK. Both men and 

women can obtain advice on birth control 

and free contraceptives from their doctor 

or the Family Planning Association.

Families in the UK 

If you wish to start a family in the UK you 

may. There is no upper limit to the number 

of children you are allowed to have. The 

average number of children per family in 

the UK is two. 

If you already have a family, you may 

have the right to bring them to the UK. 

However, rights can be complicated and 

you may need to see an independent 

immigration adviser. You can find your 

nearest immigration adviser by phoning 

Community Legal Advice or visiting 

their website (www.clsdirect.org.uk). To 

telephone them is free and the number is 

0845 345 4 345. 

Having a Baby 

For advice on all aspects of pregnancy, 

visit a family planning clinic. To find your 

nearest clinic, contact the Family Planning 

Association 0845 122 8690. They can 

supply free pregnancy tests. Alternatively, 

pregnancy testing kits can be bought at a 

pharmacy or supermarket. 

When your baby is born, you must register 

your baby with the Registrar of Births, 

Marriages and Deaths (the Registry Office) 

within six weeks of the birth. Information 

on Registration Service Offices in 

Leicestershire can be found on the County 

Council website. Click on www.leics.gov. 

uk/registration_offices.htm. For Leicester 

City, click on www.leicester.gov.uk/index. 

asppgid=892, and for Rutland, click on 

www.rutland.gov.uk/pp/Gold/ViewGold. 

aspID=847. 

Women who are expecting a baby have a 

legal right to time off work for antenatal 

care, and at least 26 weeks’ maternity 

leave. Some women may also be entitled 

to maternity pay, but this depends on 

how long they have been working for their 

employer. 

Fathers who have worked for their 

employer for at least 26 weeks are entitled 

to two weeks’ paid paternity leave when 

their child is born. It is important to tell 

your employer well in advance. 


If you are pregnant, visit your doctor as 

soon as possible (you can choose to see 

a woman doctor). Antenatal and postnatal 

care is free in the UK and it is very 

important that you and your baby receive 

regular check-ups both before and after 

the birth. You will be offered scans, tests 

and healthy living advice during your 

pregnancy. In the UK women mostly have 

their babies in hospital, though home 

births can be arranged. 

For advice on maternity leave, maternity 

pay, paternity leave, and financial 

help associated with having a baby, 

visit www.direct.gov.uk/en/Parents/ 

Moneyandworkentitlements/index.htm. 

67 

If you are thinking about terminating 

the pregnancy, you can discuss this 

confidentially with your GP (doctor). 

Abortion is legal in the UK.


68 


Sexual Health, Pregnancy and Contraception 

Brook 0800 0185 023 www.brook.org.uk 

Condom Essential Wear 

Death and 

Bereavement 

0800 567 123 

(helpline) 

If you are with someone when they die 

and there is no doctor present, you should 

call your doctor or ring 999 and ask for 

the ambulance. A doctor will be able to 

issue a death certificate, which you will 

need later. 

www.condomessentialwear.co.uk/ 

Connexions Leicester Shire 0116 262 7254 www.connexions-leics.org 

Coalville Connexions Centre 01530 812231 

Hinckley Connexions Centre 01455 632719 

Loughborough Connexions Centre 01509 214002 

Market Harborough Connexions Centre 01858 462309 

Melton and South Charnwood 

Connexions Centre 

01664 569966 

South Wigston Connexions Centre 0116 277 8090 

Connexions Lincolnshire and Rutland 01572 756655 www.connexions-lincsandrutland.co.uk/ 

Family Planning Association 0845 122 8690 www.fpa.org.uk 

Leicestershire Aids Support Services 

(LASS) 

0116 255 9995 

National AIDS Helpline 0800 567123 

National AIDS Helpline foreign 

language service 

National Childbirth Trust 

reception@lass.org.uk 

www.lass.org.uk/ 

0800 917 2227 African AIDS Helpline 0800 096 7500 

0870 444 8709 

(pregnancy & birth) 

0870 444 8708 

(breastfeeding) 

Trade Sexual Health 0116 254 1747 

www.nctpregnancyandbabycare.com 

info@tradesexualhealth.com 

www.tradesexualhealth.com 

Grieving for someone is, of course, a 

difficult process, but coping with other 

aspects of death including funeral 

arrangements can also be hard, 

particularly if you do not know what to 

do or where to go for help. Here are some 

things that you might have to consider:

Funeral Arrangements 

A funeral can involve either burial or 

cremation. A funeral director can be 

invaluable in dealing with all the practical 

arrangements when you are coming to 

terms with someone’s death. You can 

personalise a funeral service as much as 

you wish and the deceased may well have 

made their own wishes known. Burials 

have to be in designated areas. Funeral 

directors can help you in this process. 

Making a Will 

Making a will is a good idea as you then 

have control over what happens to your 

property and possessions after your death. 

You are not legally obliged to make a will, 

but if you die without doing so, your assets 

(possessions, property, money etc) may 

be distributed by law and this may not be 

according to your wishes. 

You can write a will yourself, though it is 

advisable to use the services of a solicitor 

to ensure that the various legal procedures 

and formalities are followed and that your 

will is valid. Solicitors can advise you on 

all matters relating to your will. Solicitors 

can be expensive, but again this depends 

on your personal circumstances and who 

you approach. 

Details of local solicitors can be found 

in the Yellow Pages (a directory of local 

services) or you could look on the Internet 

(e.g. www.solicitors.co.uk/leicestershiresolicitors.html) 

Voluntary organisations 

such as the Citizens Advice Bureaux and 

Age Concern can also help with your will. 

Information on funeral directors and 

their services can again be found on the 

Internet. If the deceased is a Muslim, you 

can call on the services of the Muslim 

Burial Council of Leicestershire (MBCOL). 

Their website address is www.mbcol.org. 

uk/ and their telephone number is 0116 

273 0141. 

Registration of Death 

Normally you will have five days to register 

a person’s death, though different time 

limits apply in the cases of stillbirth and if 

the death has been referred to a coroner. 

Once you’ve registered the death, you will 

be given a death certificate. 

Details on registration services (for both 

marriage and death) can be found on 

Leicestershire County Council’s website 

(click on www.leics.gov.uk/reg_services/ 

registration_services/). 

Leicester City Council also has a useful 

section on registering a death on their 

website. Click on www.leicester.gov.uk/ 

index.asppgid=533. 


69

Carrying out a Will 

Sorting out the deceased’s finances and 

the process of asset distribution is the 

responsibility of an ‘executor’ (if there is a 

will) or ‘administrator’ (if there is no will). 

There may be other matters to consider 

if you are inheriting a property (such as 

Inheritance Tax) and also other financial 

concerns, such as whether you can claim 

Bereavement Payment. 

For further detailed information on these 

and indeed on all issues relating to 

bereavement, there is a useful website 

called Facing Bereavement. Click on www. 

facingbereavement.co.uk/. 

You can find further details of what 

to do after a death, including what 

to do when someone dies abroad, by 

clicking on www.direct.gov.uk/en/ 

Governmentcitizensandrights/Death/ 

WhatToDoAfterADeath/index.htm. 



Death and Bereavement 

Facing Bereavement 

Muslim Burial Council of 

Leicestershire (MBCOL) 

0116 273 0141 

Solicitors.co.uk 01590 672357 

www.facingbereavement.co.uk/ 

admin@mbcol.org.uk 

www.mbcol.org.uk/ 

clientsenquiries@solicitors.co.uk 

www.solicitors.co.uk/ 

70

Children 

a n d E d u c a t i o n 

Part G - Children and Education

Part G - Children and Education 

72 

Looking after children 

Most parents want to do their best for their 

children, but sometimes family life can be 

difficult. Advice for parents can be found at 

www.parentlineplus.org.uk or by phoning 

free on 0808 800 2222. You can find out 

about parental responsibilities at 

www.direct.gov.uk/en/Parents. 

Young babies and children up to five years 

of age are seen regularly by a health visitor 

at home or at a clinic. You can ask the 

health visitor for advice about caring for 

your child. 

Children under 16 should not be left 

at home alone. It is an offence to leave 

a child alone if doing so puts the child 

at risk. The National Society for the 

Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) 

recommends that children under the age 

of 13 are rarely mature enough to leave 

at home unsupervised. Children under 

the age of 16 should not be on their own 

overnight. Babies, toddlers and very young 

children should never be left on their own. 

If you decide to leave a child alone, you 

should: 

1. Leave a contact phone number and 

make sure you are able to answer it 

immediately. 

2. Make sure the child knows how to 

make a phone call. 

3. If you are using a mobile phone, ensure 

there is sufficient credit and battery 

power. 

4. Explain to the child how to stay safe, 

e.g. not opening the door to strangers. 

5. Make sure potentially dangerous objects 

are out of reach. 

6. Leave clear instructions about what to 

do in an emergency. 

7. Tell the child what time you will return, 

and do not be late. 

8. Give them some basic rules about what 

they can and cannot do while you are 

away. 

9. Teach them basic first aid. 

10. Make sure they are happy to be left 

alone – if they are not, you should get 

a childminder. 

See the section on childcare on 

«« page 43 in Part C. 

Child Protection 

Abusing children physically, emotionally or 

sexually is unacceptable and illegal in this 

country. The safety and welfare of children, 

child protection, is everybody’s business. 

You could be a neighbour, friend, parent, 

relative, childminder, teacher or doctor – or 

working for any organisation which has 

contact with children and young people. 

Child protection means protecting children 

from all forms of abuse or neglect. It also 

means helping children to grow up into 

confident, healthy and happy adults. 


includes some very important information 

on child protection, including detailed 

information on what is child protection and

abuse, and where to go for help. Please 

click on: www.leics.gov.uk/index/social_ 

services/children_young_people/children_ 

at_risk/child_protection_everybodys_ 

business.htm. 

The Barnardo’s Safe4U Young Runaway 

Project in Leicester helps young people 

under the age of 16 who have run 

away from home or care, by providing 

advice, guidance, mediation and other 

forms of support. They cover Leicester, 

Leicestershire and Rutland. Their helpline 

is free to call. Phone 0800 652 3493. 

Kidscape is a national charity established 

specifically to prevent bullying and child 

sexual abuse. They have an informative 

website (www.kidscape.org.uk/) and also 

a helpline number (08451 205 204). 

The NSPCC also has a national child 

protection helpline. The number is 0808 

800 5000. Their website address is 

www.nspcc.org.uk. 

Childline (0800 1111) 

– Helpline for children 

in trouble or danger 

Childline is a free national telephone 

helpline for children and young people 

in trouble or danger. It provides excellent 

support, but is often busy and it can 

be difficult to get an answer. It offers 

confidential counselling for any child 

under 18 with any problem – 24 hours a 

day, every day of the year. The Childline 

website address is www.childline.org.uk. 

Sure Start Children’s 

Centre Information 

Sure Start is the government programme 

for ensuring the best start in life for every 

child. It brings together early education, 

childcare, health and family support. There 

is a website (www.surestart.gov.uk) and a 

national number for information 

(0870 000 2288). 

There are schemes and Children’s Centres 

in various parts of the City of Leicester, as 

well as in Charnwood in the County (all 

based in Loughborough). There is also 

a Sure Start programme and Children’s 

Centre in Rutland – at Casterton Business 

and Enterprise College in Great Casterton, 

(telephone 01780 762168). 


73


Sure Start Children’s Centres 

Belgrave (City) 0116 291 4604 New Parks & Braunstone Frith (City) 0116 231 4418 

Braunstone & Rowley 

Fields (City) 

0116 255 0525 

School Education 

If your child is aged between 5 and 16, 

the law requires that he or she must 

attend school. State education is free. 

However, parents have to pay for any 

school uniform and sports wear. Parents 

on low incomes can get help with these 

costs and with the costs of school meals. 

Some schools collect used uniforms which 

can be re-used by others. 

Newfoundpool, Bede Island & 

Woodgate (City) 

0870 000 2288 

Cobden Centre (County) 01509 237267 Northfields & Humberstone (City) 0116 292 4580 

Eyres Monsell & 

Gilmorton (City) 

Greenhill & Woodthorpe 

(County) 

0116 225 2200 Saffron (City) 0116 283 2335 

0116 265 8049 Shelthorpe (County) 01509 264876 

Highfields (City) 0116 248 8100 St Matthews (City) 0116 242 6370 

Leicester North West 

(City) 

Loughborough East 

(County) 

0116 295 4550 Thurnby Lodge (City) 0116 292 4590 

01509 568633 Warren Hills (County) 0870 000 2288 

Pupils follow the National Curriculum 

which is divided into five Key Stages. 

Pupils do a test at the end of each Key 

Stage. These tests are considered to be 

very important. 

Children under school age (under the 

age of 5) can attend nursery school, or 

receive other childcare services which 

provide a range of daytime activities. 

You may have to pay for this service, 

which can sometimes be quite expensive 

although there is help with childcare costs 

74

for eligible parents from the Childcare 

element of the Working Families Tax 

Credit. For more information, advice and 

guidance contact the Family Information 

Service (FIS). You can also get advice via 

ChildcareLink. For further information 

about children under school age (including 

details on some free childcare), see Part C, 

«« page 43 . 

Most state schools in the UK are divided 

up into primary (ages 5 to 11) and 

secondary (11 to 16 or 18) schools. 

Occasionally there are three tiers instead 

of two. There are different types of school, 

faith schools (Church of England, Roman 

Catholic, Islamic). There is a primary 

school in many villages, and a secondary 

school in most towns. There are both in 

the city of Leicester. Most schools in the 

County of Leicestershire are run by the 

Children and Young People’s Service. This 

is part of the County Council, and used 

to be called the Education Department. 

The majority of schools in Leicester and 

Leicestershire are maintained by the 

respective Local Authority. Lists of these 

schools are available. 

The school year starts in September, 

and has 3 terms – one from September 

to Christmas (in December), one from 

Christmas to Easter (in March or April) and 

one from Easter to July. There is a 6 week 

break in the summer and 2 weeks each 

at Christmas and Easter, with half term 

holidays, usually in October, February and 

May. 

The majority of bilingual students enjoy 

their time at school, but some may 

experience difficulties. It is important that 

you contact the school immediately if 

your child experiences things like bullying, 

racism or name-calling. Schools have 

policies and procedures for dealing with 

these difficulties. 

All the information that you will need 

concerning your children’s education will 

be available through schools and the 

Local Authority. However, you can also 

get advice on the curriculum, how to get 

involved in the school, bullying, discipline, 

school choice, and exclusion from school 

at www.parentscentre.gov.uk. 

How can I find a 

School 

The admissions to most schools 

in Leicestershire are managed by 

Leicestershire County Council. You can 

approach your local school to view the 

facilities, and the school should be able 

to give you a form on which to apply. 

Alternatively, you can apply online on 

www.leics.gov.uk/admissions. For all 

enquiries, please telephone 0116 305 

6684. The Local Authority tries to agree as 

many parents’ requests as possible, but it 

can refuse your child a place if the school 

is full. In particular, there are strict rules 

about the size of infant classes. If you are 

refused a place, the Local Authority will 

help offer alternatives or explain your right 

of appeal. 


75 

For safety reasons, schools expect 

young children to be accompanied to 

and from school, and there are security 

arrangements in place at all schools. 

For further support and help for parents 

about school admissions, there is an 

independent Choice Advice service 

– telephone 0116 305 2097 or email


76 

parent-partnership-service@leics.gov.uk. 

Pupils who speak English in addition 

to their home language may receive 

extra support in learning English from 

their school. The school will make an 

assessment of their needs and may 

recommend further help. The school can 

gain advice on how to go about accessing 

help from the Ethnic Minority Achievement 

Support Service (EMASS). Go to 

www.leics.gov.uk/index/education/going_ 

to_school/emass.htm. 

For information about school admissions 

in Leicester City, go to the City Council 

website and click on www.leicester.gov.uk/ 

your-council--services/education--lifelonglearning/about-schools/school-admissions. 

For information about school admissions in 

Rutland, go to the Rutland County Council 

website and click on www.rutland.gov. 

uk/admissions. 

Parentline Plus is a charity which offers 

general support to anyone parenting a 

child, whether mother, father, grandparent, 

family member or friend. They offer free, 

flexible support services, by parents, for 

parents. Their website address is 

www.parentlineplus.org.uk. 

child, it can be awkward if your child is 

acting as your interpreter. 

Your child’s school may have a teacher 

with special responsibility who you can 

talk to about any problems or worries. It 

is important, for example, that your child 

receives the necessary support to ensure 

they can do the same lessons as the 

others in their class. Sometimes a teacher 

specialising in English as an Additional 

Language (EAL) will work with the class 

teacher helping children who are learning 

English. 

Family Learning 

If you would like to learn English with your 

children or find out ways in which you can 

help your children with their schoolwork, 

there are free courses available. Just 

contact Leicestershire County Council (if 

you live in the County) or Leicester City 

Council (if you are a City resident) and ask 

for Family Learning. 

What can I do if I 

do not speak good 

English 

If you speak little or no English, you may 

need an interpreter when you visit the 

school. The Children and Young People’s 

Service may be able to help you find one. 

If you want to talk to the school about your

The equivalent information from Leicester 

City Council can be found by clicking on: 

www.leicester.gov.uk/your-council-- 

services/education--lifelong-learning/ 

about-us/lea-services. 

What happens if my 

child has a disability 

or needs special 

attention 

There is help available for children with 

special needs’ such as a physical disability, 

a learning difficulty, or psychological 

problems. Wherever possible, your child 

will be given extra help in a mainstream 

school. 

The Children and Young People’s Service 

works closely with other services to make 

sure that children have any special help 

that they need. All schools will have a 

teacher with particular responsibility for 

special educational needs called a Special 

Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO). 

Most secondary schools have special 

educational needs staff who can support 

those with learning difficulties either within 

the class or in a smaller group. 


has a lot of information on Special 

Education Needs (SEN). 

Click on either: www.leics.gov.uk/index/ 

education/going_to_school/your_guides_ 

to_education/guide_to_primary_education/ 

guide_to_education_section8.htm; or 

www.leics.gov.uk/index/education/special_ 

education_needs.htm. 

For the equivalent information in Rutland, 

go to the Rutland County Council website. 

Click on: www.rutland.gov.uk/pp/gold/ 

viewgold.aspid=553. 

Involvement with the 

school 

When your child starts school, it is a 

good idea to ask the school about open 

evenings, consultations, and how the 

school works with parents. Most schools 

have a written home-school agreement 

that it is recommended you sign. A homeschool 

agreement describes the way in 

which the school will communicate, and 

how teachers will work in partnership with 

parents to help a child learn. For example, 

this means that parents will attend open 

evenings and that the teacher will make 

sure that the parent fully understands the 

progress that their child is making. 

You will also find that there are many 

opportunities for you to get involved in 

the school, e.g. as a parent helper in the 

classroom, or by joining the Parent Teacher 

Association (PTA). 

Parents are expected to take an active role 

in their child’s education, so there will be 

contact between you and the school about 

your child’s progress, safety and conduct. 


77

things such as jobs, careers, benefits, 

money, housing, your rights, health and 

sex. You can find details of how to contact 

Connexions on their website at www. 

connexions-leics.org. 


78 

Young People aged 

16 to 19 

Between the ages of 16 and 19 you are 

entitled to free education, and free ESOL 

(English for Speakers of Other Languages) 

classes. You could study at a school if they 

provide education for 16-19 year olds, a 

Further Education College or a Sixth Form 

College (Leicester City only). After the age 

of 19 there might be some fees payable 

if you wish to continue studying. You may 

be eligible for work-based learning as well. 

Connexions Leicester Shire will be able to 

help you. Connexions is a local advice and 

support service for young people aged 13 

to 19 (and up to 25 for young people with 

learning difficulties and/or disabilities). 

Connexions can also give information, 

advice and guidance on a range of other 

For information on the Connexions service 

in Rutland, go to their website (www. 

connexions-lincsandrutland.co.uk/) or 

telephone 01572 756655. Their office is 

at 8 Melton Road in Oakham. 

You can find out about ESOL classes at 

your local Further Education College, 

through the Learning and Skills Council 

(LSC), or through your local library. 

If you want to go to university, your local 

college or school may be able to help you 

apply if you are a student there. If not, 

then visit Connexions, who will be able to 

advise you. 

Leicestershire County Council has 

supported and funded a young person’s 

website called ‘The Jitty’ www.thejitty. 

com. Created by young people for young 

people, the site has loads of information 

and is also a great means for young people 

to talk about things that matter to them 

and to make contact with other young 

people through a chat forum. The site 

is very popular. It now receives around 

20,000 visits every month. 

Young people are very welcome at youth 

clubs and centres. These are all listed on 

‘The Jitty’. Alternatively, you could contact 

the Youth Service at Leicestershire County 

Council or look on their website. Click 

on www.leics.gov.uk/index/education/ 

community_activities/youthservice.htm. 

The contact number is 0116 305 6631.

Youth clubs/centres are a fantastic way 

for young people to meet others, become 

more confident and comfortable in their 

communities, and find support. 

The Lesbian Gay Bisexual Centre in 

Leicester runs First Out, a youth club 

for young people who are lesbian, gay, 

bisexual, transgendered or questioning 

their sexuality. It meets at the Centre on a 

Thursday evening. 

The Centre also runs Choice Café, which 

meets at Wigston Young People’s Centre on 

a Wednesday evening and is also to launch 

a new youth group in Loughborough. For 

further information contact the Centre on 

0116 254 7412 or email info@llgbc. 

com. The Centre’s website address is 

www.llgbc.com. 

Adult Education, 

Training and 

Employment 

You can apply to university if you meet or 

are likely to meet the entry requirements. 

UCAS is the central organisation through 

which applications for university and 

higher education are processed. Their 

website address is www.ucas.ac.uk/. They 

also have a Customer Service Unit which 

is open Monday to Friday from 8.30 am to 

6.00 pm. The number to call is 0871 468 

0 468. You are likely to have to pay fees, 

though this payment may be phased over 

several years in some cases. You need to 

check very carefully what applies in your 

particular circumstances, and what you 

will have to pay and when. 

For adults who wish to learn at a basic 

or intermediate level (not university), 

there are local classes available through 

the Adult Learning Service in both the 

County of Leicestershire and Leicester 

City, and at Further Education colleges. 

These classes are subsidised, but for 

most classes a fee is payable. You will not 

normally have to pay for basic skills or 

some vocational courses (depending on 

your level of qualification). You can attend 

courses in different places – for example, 

adult education in community centres, 

libraries or schools, or at Further Education 

colleges. Next Step can provide more 

information about training for people aged 

20 or over. 


79


80 

Learning English 

Improving your English language skills 

will help you settle into the UK. There is 

evidence to suggest that migrants who 

are fluent in English earn significantly 

more than those who are not. Having 

good English language skills will help you 

feel more confident at work and in the 

community. It will also help your and your 

family’s health and wellbeing as well as 

career prospects. 

There are English language courses 

locally. Sometimes these courses are 

called ESOL, which stands for English 

for Speakers of Other Languages. Some 

courses emphasise English language for 

the workplace. These courses are called 

‘ESOL for work’ and may be offered by 

your employer or other providers. English 

language training is also useful for people 

taking the citizenship exam. 

If you want to learn English, or improve 

your English while you are here, there 

are many places that run classes. Adult 

learning services and Further Education 

colleges, for example, run English classes, 

which may be free (depending on your 

income). Your employer may arrange 

English classes for you, whether at one of 

the centres or at your place of work. They 

may allow you to take a couple of hours off 

a week to go to classes. 

Qualifications 

You may find that people in this country 

do not understand qualifications you 

gained in your own country. You can 

contact the National Academic Recognition 

Information Centre, who will compare 

your qualifications to British ones, and 

can tell you what they are equivalent to. 

You will need to send evidence of your 

qualifications with a translation in English. 

Responses to general enquiries and an 

advisory service are free. However, if you 

would like an individual assessment of 

your qualifications (which results 

in a letter of comparability), 

there is a small charge.

Libraries 

Libraries are places where you can borrow 

books, music, DVD’s and CD’s, look up 

information, use a computer, study, read 

newspapers (some in languages other 

than English), and join in activities. There 

are libraries in Leicester and in every 

major town and village in Leicestershire. 

A mobile library service covers 360 other 

villages. Every library will have computers 

with internet access, and it’s best to book 

in advance if you want to use them as 

they are very popular. The library is free 

to join and to use and you will receive a 

library card which you can then use this 

to borrow books. It also acts as proof of 

identity if you wish to use the Internet. 

Anyone can apply for a card, but the 

library usually asks to see proof of your 

name and address. If you do not have 

a fixed address, they may accept a host 

address (e.g. the place where you work). 

The library will post your card to this 

address. 

In Leicestershire’s libraries there are books 

in languages other than English. The 

Library Service also produces information 

leaflets (Welcome to Leicestershire 

Libraries) in Bengali, Gujarati, Hindi, 

Polish, Punjabi and Urdu. If you ask 

your local library for books in your own 

language, they should be able to arrange 

to get some for you. Libraries also have 

books for children, and run the BookStart 

project which gives free books to parents 

of new babies. They can arrange for books 

in English or other languages. 

To find out more about libraries in 

Leicestershire, phone 0116 305 6988 or 

email libraries@leics.gov.uk. You could 

also have a look at the relevant pages on 

the County Council website by clicking 

on www.leics.gov.uk/index/community/ 

libraries/county_libraries.htm. 

With regards to the City of Leicester, 

phone Leicester City Council on 0116 252 

7000. The City Council employs an officer 

who has responsibility for developing 

library services to new and developing 

communities in Leicester City. The direct 

line number for this officer is 0116 299 

5448. You could also have a look at the 

section on their website (http://www. 

leicester.gov.uk/index.asppgid=2089&m 

enu=off). 

Information on library services in Rutland 

can be found on the Rutland On Line 

website. Click on www.rutnet.co.uk/pp/ 

gold/viewgold.aspid=562. The relevant 

telephone number at Oakham Library is 

01572 722918. 


81


82 


ChildcareLink 0800 2 346346 www.childcarelink.gov.uk 

Childline (freephone) 0800 1111 www.childline.org.uk 

Children & Young People’s Services (City) 0116 252 7000 www.leicester.gov.uk/education-learning.asp 

Children & Young People’s Service (County) 0116 305 6631 

childrensservices@leics.gov.uk 

www.leics.gov.uk/index/education.htm 

Children & Young People’s Services (Rutland) 01572 722577 www.rutland.gov.uk/education 

Children’s Information Service – Leicester City 0800 952 5678 early.years@leicester.gov.uk 

Children’s Information Service – Rutland 01572 722577 enquiries@rutland.gov.uk 

Children’s Legal Centre 01206 872466 www.childrenslegalcentre.com 

Connexions Leicester Shire 0116 262 7254 www.connexions-leics.org 

Coalville Connexions Centre 01530 812231 

Hinckley Connexions Centre 01455 632719 

Loughborough Connexions Centre 01509 214002 

Market Harborough Connexions Centre 01858 462309 

Melton and South Charnwood Connexions Centre 01664 569966 

South Wigston Connexions Centre 0116 277 8090 

Connexions Lincolnshire and Rutland 01572 756655 www.connexions-lincsandrutland.co.uk/ 

Equality and Diversity Support Service (EDSS) 0116 285 9440 www.edss.co.uk/ 

Ethnic Minority Achievement Support Service (EMASS) 01509 891394 

Family Information Service – Leicestershire 0116 305 6545 childcare@leics.gov.uk 

The Jitty (young people’s website) 0116 232 3232 

jhunter@leics.gov.uk 

www.thejitty.com/ 

Kidscape 

08451 205 204 

(helpline) 

www.kidscape.org.uk/ 

Learn Direct 0800 100 900 www.learndirect-advice.co.uk 

Learning and Skills Council (Leicestershire) 0845 019 4177 www.lsc.gov.uk 

Leicester Adult and Community Education 

0116 229 4367 lifelonglearning@leicester.gov.uk 

0116 252 7000 www.leicester.gov.uk/index.asppgid=3636 

Leicestershire Adult Learning Service 0116 305 6387 

adultlearning@leics.gov.uk 

www.leics.gov.uk/adult_education 

Lesbian Gay Bisexual Centre Leicester 0116 254 7412 


www.llgbc.com 

National Academic Recognition Information Centre 0871 330 7033 

info@naric.org.uk 

www.naric.org.uk/ 

Next Step Leicestershire 0800 0850 330 

eadvice@nextstep-leics.org.uk 

www.nextstep-leics.org.uk/ 

NSPCC 0808 800 5000 www.nspcc.org.uk 

Parentline Plus 0808 800 2222 www.parentlineplus.org.uk 

Parents Centre 

www.parentscentre.gov.uk/ 

The Prince’s Trust (East Midlands Region) 0116 253 7824 

webinfoem@princes-trust.org.uk 

www.princes-trust.org.uk 

Rutland Adult Learning 01572 771700 adultlearning@catmose.rutland.sch.uk 

Sure Start 0870 000 2288 www.surestart.gov.uk 

UCAS 0871 468 0 468 www.ucas.ac.uk/ 

Youth Voice Ltd 0116 223 9177 www.youth-voice.org/ 

Further Education Colleges 

Brooksby Melton College 01664 850850 www.brooksbymelton.ac.uk 

Leicester College 0116 224 2240 

info@leicestercollege.ac.uk 

www.leicestercollege.ac.uk/ 

Loughborough College 0845 166 2950 

loucoll@loucoll.ac.uk 

www.loucoll.ac.uk 

North Warwickshire & Hinckley College 01455 251222 www.nwhc.ac.uk 

South Leicestershire College 0116 288 5051 

Enquiries@slcollege.ac.uk 

www.slcollege.ac.uk/ 

Stephenson College 01530 836136 www.stephensoncoll.ac.uk/ 

Vale of Catmose College (Oakham) 01572 722286 

office@catmose.rutland.sch.uk 

www.rutnet.co.uk/vcc/ 

Universities in Leicester Shire 

De Montfort University – Leicester 

0116 255 1551 enquiry@dmu.ac.uk 

08459 45 46 47 www.dmu.ac.uk 

Loughborough University 01509 263171 www.lboro.ac.uk/ 

University of Leicester 0116 252 2522 www.le.ac.uk/external/

Older 

p e o p l e 

Part H - Older People

Part H - Older People 

84 

The population of elderly people in the 

UK is growing. There are 11 million 

pensioners in the country (about 18% of 

the overall population) and it is predicted 

that by 2031 that percentage will increase 

to almost a quarter of the UK population. 

The treatment of the elderly population has 

been the subject of an increasing number 

of reports, and charities working for and 

with older people have increasingly been 

highlighting issues of concern. 

Two of the biggest charities are Age 

Concern and Help the Aged. 

Age Concern 

Age Concern is a registered charity and 

one of the largest recognisable voluntary 

organisations working with older people 

in the United Kingdom. Age Concern is a 

federation of independent organisations 

that work together under a shared set of 

common standards, aims and values. 

At a local level, Age Concern provides a 

range of services to older people. Specific 

services provided will vary, depending 

upon the locality, but are likely to include 

care services such as day care, practical 

support such as handyperson services, and 

information and advice services that will 

provide assistance with accessing welfare 

benefits. Age Concern is also involved in 

providing services that enable older people 

to remain active and that promote physical 

and mental well-being. 

Age Concern also has an important 

campaigning role and ensures that issues 

of importance to older people are raised 

and properly considered by government 

and other organisations/sectors. It actively 

campaigns on these issues and is a 

powerful voice. 

The national website can be found by 

clicking on www.ageconcern.org.uk/. 

Locally, there are Age Concern 

organisations in both Leicester City and 

for the County of Leicestershire and 

Rutland. There are also a number of local 

independent Age Concerns operating in 

Glenfield, Hinckley, Lutterworth, Oadby 

and Wigston, and Syston. 

Help the Aged 

Help the Aged’s services are broadly 

similar to those of Age Concern. With 

an international as well as UK remit, 

the organisation actively works to help 

disadvantaged older people and campaigns 

on issues that affect them. Their website 

(www.helptheaged.org.uk) contains lots of 

information and you can also donate and 

buy goods online. 

Leicestershire County Council has also 

developed a very useful website (called 

‘Leicestershire CareOnLine’) that gives 

loads of information on care issues and 

care facilities. It is not just concerned with 

elderly people, so it is well worth a look 

for other areas of interest and concern (for

example, Learning Disability, Mental Ill 

Health, Finding Work, Travel). However, if 

you click on ‘Older People’, you will find a 

large list of organisations that serve older 

people in a variety of ways. This includes 

organisations that cater for specific 

illnesses and disabilities. 

Part H - Older People 

85 


Age Concern England 

Age Concern Hinckley & 

Burbage 

0800 00 99 66 (Helpline) 

0208 765 7200 

Age Concern Leicester 0116 222 0555 

Age Concern Leicestershire 

& Rutland 

Age Concern Lutterworth & 

District 

www.ageconcern.org.uk 

01455 619519 achinckley_burbage@yahoo.co.uk 

0116 299 2233 

01455 557116 

Help the Aged (England) 0207 278 1114 

Leicestershire CareOnLine 0116 305 7538 

admin@ageconcernleicester.org 

www.ageconcernleicester.org 

enquiries@ageconcernleics.com 

www.ageconcernleics.com 

info@helptheaged.org.uk 

www.helptheaged.org.uk 

leicestershirecareonline@leics.gov.uk 

www.leicscareonline.org.uk/

Travel 

i n L e i c e s t e r s h i r e 

Part I - Travel in Leicestershire

Part I - Travel in Leicestershire 

88 

Public transport in Leicestershire includes 

buses, trains and areoplanes. Users of 

public transport are expected not to cause 

damage or behave in a way that offends 

other passengers. If you do not have 

your own transport or you have difficulty 

getting around, one of the community 

transport schemes might be able to 

help. For information about community 

transport in Leicester, call 0116 221 

1435. Leicestershire services can be 

found on www.leicestershire.gov.uk/new_ 


2&theme=T6, and for information about 

services in Rutland go to www.rutland.gov. 

uk/pp/service/detail.aspid=2387. 

Trains 

Leicester Railway Station is on 

the mainline route from London to 

Nottingham, Sheffield, Leeds and other 

destinations (East Midlands Trains). Cross 

Country Trains also connect Leicester to 

Birmingham and the West Midlands as 

well as destinations to the East. There are 

major railway stations in Loughborough, 

Market Harborough, Oakham (Rutland), 

Hinckley and Melton Mowbray. You can 

find out about trains from the National Rail 

Enquiries service. 

You might be eligible for a railcard which 

would entitle you to cheaper tickets. 

Tickets are usually bought before you get 

on the train. You can buy rail tickets at 

stations or online at www.nationalrail. 

co.uk. You will need to keep your ticket 

for the duration of your journey. It is illegal 

to smoke in trains or buses, or on a rail 

station platform as this is seen as an 

enclosed public space. 

Buses 

Bus routes cover most of Leicestershire, 

and are run by many different companies. 

The main routes between Leicester and 

the major towns usually have frequent 

services, but some of the remoter villages 

only have a few buses that go to them 

each day, or even only one each way. You 

can find out about buses from Traveline 

www.traveline.org.uk. Free timetables 

are available from bus stations, libraries 

or tourist information centres. Some 

information is also available at bus stops. 

Some bus routes use the ‘star track’ 

system, which means that bus stops will 

have electronic displays telling you how 

long you will be waiting before the next 

bus arrives. To catch a bus, wait at the 

correct stop and put your hand out to tell 

the driver to stop. You can buy tickets from 

the driver, but try to have the right money. 

You will need to keep your ticket for the 

duration of your journey.

Information on local buses in 

Leicestershire can be found on the internet 

by clicking on www.leics.gov.uk/index/ 

highways/public_transport/bus_train_ 

services/bus_services.htm. 

found in the telephone directory, or on 

advertising boards. 

There are coach services from bus stations 

in the area to cities and airports across 

the UK. You can find out about coaches at 

www.nationalexpress.com. 

Areoplanes 

East Midlands Airport is situated 

near Castle Donington in North West 

Leicestershire (about 20 miles from 

Leicester). You can fly from here to 

other UK destinations as well as many 

destinations in Europe and wider 

afield. European destinations include 

Warsaw, Krakow, Poznan, Gdansk, Lodz 

and Wroclaw (Poland), Prague (Czech 

Republic), Plovdiv, Bourgas and Varna 

(Bulgaria), Riga (Latvia), Budapest 

(Hungary) and Bratislava (Slovakia). Other 

major national and international airports 

are relatively close including Birmingham, 

London Luton and London Stansted. 

Taxis 

Taxis are generally more expensive than 

buses or trains, unless several people 

share a journey. They often wait in taxi 

ranks outside stations or in central areas of 

main towns. Alternatively, you can ring a 

local taxi company and book a taxi. Taxis 

are not allowed to drive around looking for 

customers, and must be licensed, showing 

a small licence plate on the back. They 

have their rates fixed by Local Authorities, 

and are inspected to make sure they are 

safe. Details of taxi companies can be 

Cars 

To buy new or second hand cars look in 

the local paper, or at car dealers. See the 

section on ‘Information about Driving’ 

in the UK ( page 91 »» ). In the UK, 

motorways link different areas of the 

country; for example Leicester connects 

to both the M1 (London to Leeds and the 

North) and the M69 (to Coventry and to 

connect to the M6 and Birmingham and 

the North West). Roads which link major 

towns are called A roads (for example the 

A6 and A46 in Leicestershire). Less major 

roads are called B roads. You can buy road 

maps at most petrol stations as well as 

book shops. 


89

on the ticket. The amount you must pay 

often goes up after 14 days. You may have 

a clamp put on a wheel of your car if you 

park illegally. You will have to pay a fine to 

have this taken off. If you consider that you 

have been unjustly fined or clamped you 

can appeal. 


90 

Parking 

In most car parks (shown by a large blue 

sign with a white P on it), there will be 

machines where you can buy a ticket. In 

some car parks you buy a ticket for the 

amount of time you expect to park your 

car for (Pay and Display car parks), and 

in others you are given a ticket, and pay 

when you leave for the amount of time you 

were there. Attendants can help you if you 

are stuck, but not all car parks have them. 

Cycling and Walking 

Many people cycle for pleasure and to 

go to work or shopping. Some roads 

have special cycle lanes which help keep 

cyclists safe from cars. To help you stay 

safe when cycling, wear a helmet and 

reflective strips. Many towns have paths 

for cyclists. These are marked with signs. 

You can find out where there are cycle 

paths by clicking on www.sustrans.org.uk. 

The Highway Code applies to cyclists (see 

following section on ‘Information about 

Driving’). 

On streets where there are single yellow 

lines marked on the side of the road, 

there are restrictions on parking. These 

should be explained on a small yellow 

sign near by. If there are 2 yellow lines 

(double yellow lines) then you should not 

park there at all. Some roads have marked 

parking spaces reserved for people who 

live there. If you are parked illegally, you 

will get a parking ticket. This is a fine, 

which you should pay as soon as you can. 

Information on how to pay will be included

Pedestrians use pavements to walk safely 

along roads. If there is no pavement you 

should walk at the side of the road and 

towards oncoming traffic so that you 

can see traffic approaching. You can 

cross roads safely at marked crossings. 

Crossings with traffic lights will show a lit 

red person for ‘stop’ and a green person 

when you can cross. At night and during 

the winter months it is advisable to wear 

light-coloured or reflective clothes. 

There are many opportunities for walking 

in the County of Leicestershire, with some 

beautiful places to see. Some walks are 

indicated on maps and guides and there 

are organised walks where you have the 

benefit of a personal guide. If you are 

walking or cycling in the countryside 

you can use public footpaths, which are 

marked with signs. You can walk freely 

on common land and on mapped areas of 

moorland, heath, and mountain without 

the need to stick to paths. 

When using the countryside, you should 

follow the Countryside Code. This explains 

how you can respect and enjoy the 

countryside. You can find out more about 

open access, the Countryside Code, and 

the activities and walks available in your 

area at www.countrysideaccess.gov. 

uk. The Countryside Code also features 

on the Ramblers Association website 

(www.ramblers.org.uk/info/britain/ 

countrysidecode.html). 

Information about 

Driving 

• Traffic in the UK drives on the left-hand 

side of the road. 

• You must be at least 17 years old to 

drive a car or a motorcycle in the UK 

(and older for larger vehicles). 

• If you ride a motorbike you need to wear 

a crash helmet, unless you are a Sikh 

and wear a turban. 

• You have to be at least 16 to drive a 

moped, and must wear a crash helmet. 

• To drive on roads in the UK, your vehicle 

must be displaying a valid tax disc and 

you must have a valid driving licence 

and UK insurance for that vehicle. It 

must also have a valid MOT certificate 

(certificate of roadworthiness to say that 

it is safe to drive). If you do not have 

any of these documents, do not drive. 

If in doubt check with your local police 

officer or station. Further details about 

driving licences are given in leaflet D100 

available from Post Offices. 

• There are a large number of companies 

who offer either insurance or breakdown 

cover, or sometimes both. 


91


92 

• If you want to drive in the UK and have 

a valid driving licence from your home 

country, you can use it for up to a year 

from your date of entry into the UK (or 

up to the age of 70 if you are from an 

EU country). 

• If you bring a car into this country 

from another country, it must have 

valid tax, insurance and a certificate 

of roadworthiness (to say it is safe to 

drive), from the other country. If the car 

will be here for a long time, you should 

tell Customs and Excise that you have 

brought it in. 

• On the Direct.Gov website, there 

is a good section on driving 

in Great Britain on a foreign 

licence. Click on www.direct.gov. 

uk/en/Motoring/DriverLicensing/ 

DrivingInGbOnAForeignLicence/index. 

htm. 

• You should read the Highway Code, 

which gives details of the laws and road 

signs, before you start to drive. You can 

see a copy of the Highway Code at your 

local library (it is also available online at 

www.highwaycode.gov.uk/). 

• If a seatbelt is fitted in a vehicle, it must 

be worn. It is your responsibility if you 

are over 14. If there is an under 14 year 

old in the vehicle, then it is the driver’s 

responsibility. 

• Every passenger must have a designated 

seat. Carrying more people in a vehicle 

than the number of seats is dangerous 

and illegal. 

• If you have a baby or a young child, 

you should fit a car seat suitable for 

your child’s height and weight. The 

seat should meet the safety standards. 

Try before you buy and ask the retailer 

to show you how to fit the seat and 

fasten the safety straps correctly. You 

can find more advice on child car seats 

at the Government website www. 

thinkroadsafety.gov.uk. By law, no 

child can sit in the front seat without 

a suitable car seat, or seat belt (if their 

height is over 135 cm). No child under 

three years of age can travel in a car 

without the correct car seat.

• Drinking alcohol and then driving is 

a very serious offence in the UK. You 

must not attempt to drive or sit in the 

driving seat of a car after you have 

been drinking alcohol or using illegal 

drugs, even if the car is not moving. The 

penalties if you do so are very serious. If 

you are found guilty by a court, you will 

be banned from driving for at least 12 

months. You could also: 

• Go to prison for 6 months. 

• Be fined up to £5,000. 

• Lose your job/lose your car. 

• Have to pay much higher car insurance 

costs. 

• The safest thing is not to consume 

any alcohol at all if you are going to be 

driving. 

• Never offer an alcoholic drink to 

someone else who is driving. 

• In the UK it is illegal to use a hand-held 

mobile phone while you are driving. If 

you are caught doing this you could be 

fined and receive penalty points on your 

driving licence. Points on your licence 

could lead to you paying more for car 

insurance. 

• In the UK, if you build up 12 or 

more penalty points within a threeyear 

period, you will be liable to be 

disqualified from driving. The Direct. 

gov.uk website provides a useful 

section on what happens if you are 

convicted of a motoring offence in 

terms of motoring endorsements 

and points etc (www.direct.gov. 

uk/en/Motoring/DriverLicensing/ 

EndorsementsAndDisqualifications/DG_ 

4022550). 

• You need to be aware of national 

speed limits in the UK. For cars, unless 

signposted, this means the following: 

• 30 mph in built up areas (e.g. 

residential and shopping areas) 

• 60 mph in open areas single 

carriageways 

• 70 mph in open areas dual 

carriageways and on motorways 

• There are different speed limits for cars 

towing caravans, buses and coaches and 

goods vehicles. 

• The above mentioned speed limits apply 

unless signposts tell you otherwise. A 

good example would be 20 mph around 

schools at the beginning and end of 

school days. 


93


94 

• If you have an accident, you must stop 

and give your name and address and 

the name of your insurance company to 

all the other drivers involved or anyone 

acting on their behalf. You must call 

the police if someone is injured or if the 

cars are in a dangerous position where 

other people may crash into them. If 

you admit the accident was your fault, 

the insurance company may refuse to 

pay. It may be advisable to wait for the 

insurance company to decide for itself 

who was responsible for the accident. 

Travel in Leicestershire 

Cross Country Trains 0870 010 0084 

DVLA 

East Midlands Airport 0871 919 9000 

East Midlands Trains 08457 125678 

customer.relations@crosscountrytrains.co.uk 

www.crosscountrytrains.co.uk 

www.dvla.gov.uk/ 

HM Revenue and Customs 0845 010 9000 www.hmrc.gov.uk 

National Express – Coach Travel 

(Head Office) 

enquiries@eastmidlandsairport.com 

www.eastmidlandsairport.com/cms/1/home.html 

getintouch@eastmidlandstrains.co.uk 

www.midlandmainline.com/EMTrains 

08705 808080 www.nationalexpress.com/home/hp.cfm 

National Rail Enquiries 08457 48 49 50 www.nationalrail.co.uk/ 

Sustrans 0845 113 00 65 

The Highway Code 

Think Road Safety 

Transport – County Council 

0800 62 62 03 

(Roadline) 

For important information about driving 

in the UK, please look at the Driving and 

Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) website 

(specifically www.dvla.gov.uk/drivers.aspx) 

or indeed the Direct.Gov website (www. 

direct.gov.uk/en/index.htm). 

For general information about road 

safety, whether you are walking, cycling, 

driving or a passenger, go to www. 

thinkroadsafety.gov.uk. 

info@sustrans.org.uk 

www.sustrans.org.uk 

www.highwaycode.gov.uk/ 

road.safety@dft.gsi.gov.uk 

www.thinkroadsafety.gov.uk/ 

htwm@leics.gov.uk 

www.leics.gov.uk/index/highways.htm 

Traveline 0870 200 22 33 www.traveline.org.uk/index.htm

Leisure 

i n L e i c e s t e r s h i r e 

Part J - Leisure in Leicestershire

Part J - Leisure in Leicestershire 

96 

Leisure Activities 

Taking part in sports, cultural or outdoor 

activities can help you to meet people, 

relax, and understand the history, culture 

and natural environment of the area. 

Towns often have sports and arts facilities 

such as leisure centres, swimming 

pools, museums, concert venues and art 

galleries, and there are many local clubs 

for sports and other activities. 

of granite and roofs of Swithland slate. 

Country Parks such as Bradgate and 

Beacon Hill are good examples of this 

landscape. 

Other major countryside attractions 

include Watermead Country Park, near 

Leicester; Bosworth Battlefield, Twycross 

Zoo and Burbage Common near Hinckley, 

Foxton Locks near Market Harborough and 

Burrough Hill near melton Mowbray. 

The Leicestershire countryside and 

Towns have a wealth of cultural and 

environmental interest. The developing 

National Forest in north-western 

Leicestershire is transforming the 

countryside for the benefit of wildlife, 

the environment and local communities. 

More details on Forest attractions such 

as Conkers and Snibston can be found on 

the National Forest website. Charnwood 

Forest in the north of the county provides 

the most distinctive landscape of granite 

crags, heathland and buildings with walls 

Those keen to explore the wider 

countryside can use the extensive (3,000 

kms) network of Rights of Way. These are 

clearly waymarked with arrows (Yellow for 

a footpath and blue for bridleays where 

you can walk, cycle or horseride). More 

information on this network and a range of 

maps are included on the County Council 

website. Within the Towns and Villages are 

an immense range of historic buildings, 

lively markets, Museums, Theatres and 

Town Parks.

The County Council website is a useful 

first port of call for information, as is the 

City Council website for venues and leisure 

opportunities in Leicester City. 

The Go Leicestershire website contains 

information on all of these, as well as 

details on restaurants, pubs and clubs, 

festivals and other forms of entertainment, 

activities and venues for children 

(including Twin Lakes, a theme park on 

the outskirts of Melton Mowbray), and 

shopping centres and opportunities. 

Unsurprisingly, the City of Leicester is 

particularly popular for shopping. The 

Highcross Shopping Centre is in the heart 

of the City, whilst Fosse Park remains a 

popular shopping outlet on the edge of the 

city near to the M1 and M69 motorway 

junctions. However, in other parts of the 

City as in all the County towns, you will 


find major High Street stores as well 

as smaller stores and small boutiques 

catering for a variety of tastes. 

Fishing requires a licence, and permission 

from the lake or river owner (in Scotland 

this permission must be in writing). There 

are many bylaws (rules) regarding fishing. 

For example, anglers must return to the 

water all salmon caught in England and 

Wales before 16th June each year, and 

they cannot use crayfish as bait. For full 

details visit www.environment-agency.gov. 

uk/subjects/fish. 

Libraries are also a very useful source 

of information on leisure outlets and 

opportunities. For contact information see 

the libraries section on «« page 81 . 

Environment Agency 08708 506506 www.environment-agency.gov.uk 

Go Leicestershire 0906 294 1113 www.goleicestershire.com/ 

Leicester-Shire & Rutland Sport 01509 226745 

The National Forest 01283 551211 

National Trust 0870 458 4000 

lrsport@lboro.ac.uk 

www.lrsport.org/ 

enquriries@nationalforest.org 

www.nationalforest.org 

enquiries@thenationaltrust.org.uk 

www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/ 


97 

Community Facilities 

There are many community centres serving 

neighbourhoods and, in the countryside, 

towns and villages. In Leicester and 

Loughborough there are also community 

centres serving particular ethnic or faith 

groups. The latter may be attached to 

places of worship. These centres provide 

a range of activities and are also places 

when you can meet other people. Many 

Village Halls regularly promote professional 

arts events through the County’s Centre 

Stage programme as part of their activities 

for local communities. There are also 

newspapers, news sheets, radio stations 

and websites geared towards serving 

particular communities. Some use 

community languages.


98 

Sports 

Leicestershire is home to many different 

sports. Spectator sport is popular, with 

Leicester City Football Club, Leicester 

Tigers Rugby Union, Leicestershire 

Country Cricket Club and Leicester Riders 

Basketball regularly attracting big crowds 

and a high profile. Leicester Racecourse, 

situated in Oadby, holds a number of 

both Flat and National Hunt meetings 

throughout the course of the season, and 

Mallory Park and Donington Park are both 

popular destinations for motorsport in the 

County. 

Phone 

Organisation 

Number 

Major Sports Clubs and Venues 

There are many leisure centres and 

swimming pools in Leicester and 

Leicestershire, and a large number of 

sports clubs. 

You can contact your Local Authority 

Sports Development Officer, or the 

Leicester-Shire and Rutland Sport 

Partnership for more details, or look in the 

phone book. The Sport Partnership can 

be contacted on 01509 226745 (www. 

lrsport.org.uk). 

Email/Website 

Donington Park 01332 810048 www.donington-park.co.uk 

Leicester City Football Club 0870 040 6000 www.lcfc.premiumtv.co.uk/ 

Leicester Racecourse 0116 271 6515 

Leicester Riders Basketball 

0116 266 1541 

ext 294 

Leicester Tigers Rugby Union 0870 128 3430 

Leicestershire County Cricket 

Club 

0871 282 1879 

info@leicester-racecourse.com 

www.leicester-racecourse.co.uk 

info@leicesterriders.co.uk 

www.ridersbasketball.com/ 

tigers@tigers.co.uk 

www.tigers.co.uk 

enquiries@leicestershireccc.co.uk 

www.leicestershireccc.co.uk 

Mallory Park 01455 842931 www.mallorypark.co.uk 

Other Sports Clubs and Facilities 

Aylestone Leisure Centre 

(Leicester) 

Braunstone Leisure Centre 

(Leicester) 

Cossington Street Sports 

Centre (Leicester) 

Enderby Leisure Centre & Golf 

Course 

0116 233 3040 

shaun.miles@leicester.gov.uk 

www.leicester.gov.uk/sports/ 

0116 229 3229 www.leicester.gov.uk/sports/ 

0116 233 3060 

cossingtonfm@leicester.gov.uk 


0116 275 0234 www.slm-leisure.co.uk/centres/enderby/ 

Evington Pool (Leicester) 0116 299 5575 

Fleckney Sports and Leisure 

Centre 

Harborough Leisure Centre 

Hermitage Leisure Centre 

(Coalville) 

0116 240 3755 fleckneyparishclerk@tiscali.co.uk 

01858 410115 

01455 200800 

01530 811215 

Hinckley Leisure Centre 01455 610011 

Hood Park Leisure Centre 

(Ashby) 

01530 412181 

emma.kingzett@leisure.serco.com 

www.harboroughleisurecentre.com/ 

hermitage@nwleicestershire.gov.uk 

www.nwleics.gov.uk/hermitagelc/ 

hinckleygm@slm-ltd.co.uk 

www.slm-leisure.co.uk/centres/hinckley/ 

hoodparklc@nwleicestershire.gov.uk 

www.nwleics.gov.uk/hoodparklc/

Huncote Leisure Centre 0116 275 0246 enderbygm@slm-limited.co.uk 

John Sandford Sports Centre 

- De Montfort University 

Leicester Leys Leisure Centre 0116 233 3070 

Leicester Outdoor Pursuits 

Centre 

0116 250 6400 sportandrecreation@dmu.ac.uk 

0116 268 1426 

Loughborough Leisure Centre 01509 611080 

leicesterleysfm@leicester.gov.uk 


info@lopc.co.uk 

www.lopc.co.uk 

info.charnwood@leisure.serco.com 

www.charnwoodleisure.com/ 

Lutterworth Sports Centre 01455 200800 www.lutterworthsportcentre.com/ 

Markfield Community and 

Sports Centre 

01530 242240 

Measham Leisure Centre 01530 274061 www.nwleics.gov.uk/meashamlc/ 

Melton Mowbray Leisure 

Centre and Theatre 

New Parks Leisure Centre 

(Leicester) 

01664 851111 

0116 233 3080 

Oadby Swimming Pool 0116 271 0386 

Oakthorpe Community Leisure 

Centre 

Parklands Leisure Centre 

(Oadby) 

Saffron Lane Sports Centre 

(Leicester) 

Soar Valley Leisure Centre 

(Mountsorrel) 

South Charnwood Swimming 

Pool (Syston) 

Southfields Drive Sports Centre 

(Leicester) 

Spence Street Sports Centre 

(Leicester) 

St Margaret’s Pasture Sports 

Centre (Leicester) 

St Matthew’s Sports Hall 

(Leicester) 

Waterfield Leisure Pools 

(Melton Mowbray) 

newparksfm@leicester.gov.uk 


01530 515087 www.nwleics.gov.uk/community_facilities/ 

0116 272 0789 

leisureconnection@parklands.co.uk 

www.leisureconnection.co.uk/ 


0116 237 5267 www.charnwoodleisure.com/soarvalley/ 

0116 264 0057 

0116 283 9047 

0116 299 5584 

spence@leicester.gov.uk 



0116 222 1045 

01664 563550 www.slm-leisure.co.uk/centres/waterfield/ 

wigston.pool@leisureconnection.co.uk 

Wigston Swimming Pool 0116 288 1758 

www.leisureconnection.co.uk/ 

Local Authority Sports Development Officers 

Blaby 0116 272 7731 www.blaby.gov.uk 

Charnwood 01509 634592 www.charnwood.gov.uk 

Harborough 01858 821284 www.harborough.gov.uk 

Hinckley and Bosworth 01455 255847 www.hinckley-bosworth.gov.uk 

Leicester City 0116 233 3056 www.leicester.gov.uk 

Melton 01664 502378 www.melton.gov.uk 

North West Leicestershire 01530 454557 www.nwleicestershire.gov.uk 

Oadby and Wigston 0116 257 2673 www.oadby-wigston.gov.uk 

Rutland 01572 722577 www.rutland.gov.uk 


99


100 

Music and Theatre 

Leicester and Leicestershire has a variety 

of venues catering for different musical and 

theatrical tastes. Curve is Leicester’s new 

state-of-the-art theatre, designed by world 

renowned architect Rafael Vinoly, and is 

based in the heart of the new Cultural 

Quarter on Rutland Street. 

De Montfort Hall is a leading regional 

and national venue, whose wide-ranging 

programme regularly includes classical, 

jazz, opera, ballet, comedy, world music 

and West End musicals. 

The Y Theatre on East Street in Leicester 

(close to Leicester Railway Station) is 

also a great venue for music, dance and 

comedy. 

The Leicester Comedy Festival takes place 

in February each year and the Summer 

Sundae Festival, which attracts an 

increasingly high profile range of bands, 

usually takes place on the August Bank 

Holiday weekend. 


Music and Theatre 

Curve Theatre 0116 242 3560 enquiries@curvetheatre.co.uk 

De Montfort Hall (Leicester) 0116 233 3111 

dmh.office@leicester.gov.uk 

www.demontforthall.co.uk 

Leicester Theatre Trust 0116 253 0021 

enquiries@leicestertheatretrust.co.uk 

www.lhtheatre.co.uk/ 

Leicester YMCA (the Y Theatre) 0116 255 7066 

theatre@leicesterymca.co.uk 

www.leicesterymca.co.uk/content/ytheatre.html 

Loughborough Town Hall 01509 231914 

box.office@charnwood.gov.uk 

www.loughboroughtownhall.co.uk/ 

Music Venues in Leicester 

www.bbc.co.uk/leicester/music/venues/index.shtml 

Leicester Comedy Festival 0116 2616812 www.comedy-festival.co.uk 

Cinema 

There are a number of cinemas in Leicester 

and Leicestershire, ranging from the big 

multi-screen complexes at the Meridian 

Leisure Park, Highcross and the Odeon in 

Leicester, to smaller, more local venues in 

Loughborough and Melton Mowbray (The 

Regal on King Street). You can also enjoy 

regular screenings of recent and classic 

films at village hall venues as part of the 

County’s Centre Stage Scheme. 

Information can be founding by clicking on 

www.192.com/directory.cfm/LEICESTER/ 

CINEMA. 

Museums 

There are over 50 museums in 

Leicestershire and Leicester that show the 

history and celebrate the heritage of the 

county and city. You can find out more by 

visiting www.leics.gov.uk/museums

Radio, Television and 

Newspapers 

The BBC in Leicester is housed in a 

modern building in St Nicholas Place in 

the City Centre. The venue is home to 

BBC Radio Leicester as well as the BBC’s 

Asian Network. A number of independent 

radio stations can also be heard within 

Leicestershire, including Leicester Sound 

and Sabras Radio. As Leicestershire falls 

within the East Midlands region, the local 

BBC and independent television (ITV) 

networks will focus on the East Midlands. 

However, in some areas of the county, you 

can also pick up the general Midlands 

networks that operate out of Birmingham. 

This mostly affects local news and weather 

forecasts. 

Leicestershire also has a variety of 

local newspapers, the biggest being the 

Leicester Mercury. The Mercury’s offices 

in St George Street (not far from Leicester 

Railway Station) have just been revamped 

and modernised. 

The media in the UK is independent of 

the Government, though various national 

newspapers will reflect different political 

views – to greater or lesser degrees – and 

this may mean that they strongly support 

(or oppose) the Government’s actions on 

particular issues. It is nevertheless very 

important to make clear that the media is 

not state-controlled. 

There is a useful internet site (The Big 

Project) that provides links to the UK 

national newspapers and agencies, as 

well as newspapers in the English regions, 

Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, 

newspapers that relate to a number of 

ethnic minorities and also a wide range of 

newspapers from across the world. All of 

the newspapers featured on this website 

are available online. The Big Project 

website (www.thebigproject.co.uk) is also 

a great source of general information. 

The BBC is probably one of the most 

well-known and far-reaching British 

media institutions. It prides itself on being 

“independent, impartial and honest”, 

though that doesn’t mean that it doesn’t 

receive criticism from people who don’t 

think that this is the case. Your television 

licence fee funds the BBC to provide its 

services to the public. 

The BBC World Service may be very 

familiar to you. It provides international 

news, analysis and other information from 

all across the world, in English and 32 

other languages. 


101 


Media 

BBC 

www.bbc.co.uk/ 

BBC Asian Network 0116 201 6760 www.bbc.co.uk/asiannetwork 

BBC East Midlands Today 0115 955 0500 

BBC Leicester 0116 251 6688 

BBC World Service 

emt@bbc.co.uk 

www.bbc.co.uk/eastmidlandstoday/ 

leicester@bbc.co.uk 

www.bbc.co.uk/leicester/ 

www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/


102 

The Big Project 

Central ITV 

www.thebigproject.co.uk/news/ 

www.itvregions.com/central/ 

Harborough Mail 01858 436000 www.harboroughmail.co.uk/ 

The Hinckley Times 01455 891965 

hinckleytimes@mrn.co.uk 

www.hinckley-times.co.uk/ 

Leicester Mercury Group Limited 0116 251 2512 www.thisisleicestershire.co.uk/ 

Leicester Sound (Radio) 0116 256 1300 

Loughborough Echo 01509 232632 

MATV Channel 6 0116 253 2288 

webmaster@leicestersound.co.uk 

www.leicestersound.co.uk/ 

info@matv.co.uk 

www.matv.co.uk 

Melton Times 01664 410041 www.meltonmowbraytoday.co.uk/ 

Rutland Independent Online 

Rutland and Stamford Mercury 01780 762255 

Rutland Times 01572 758888 

Sabras Radio 

0871 664 1260 

(studio) 

www.rutlandindependent.co.uk/index.asp 

smeditor@stamfordmercury.co.uk 

www.stamfordmercury.co.uk 

rutland.editorial@jpress.co.uk 

www.rutlandtimes.co.uk 

Studio@sabrasradio.com 

www.sabrasradio.com 

Food and Shopping 

You will find shops selling food and other goods 

in most Leicestershire locations, from the City 

of Leicester to towns and villages. Some towns 

have regular markets where you can buy locally 

produced goods which are sometimes cheaper 

than those in shops. This is also the case in 

Leicester’s City Centre. The market there is the 

largest covered market in Europe and has been in 

existence on the same site since the year 1300! 

There are also large shops called supermarkets. 

Specialist shops (sometimes called 

delicatessens) or specialist areas 

in supermarkets sell foods from 

around the world. On occasions, 

Leicester City Centre also hosts 

street stalls selling food 

products from Europe and 

elsewhere.

Local Leicestershire delicacies include 

Melton Mowbray pork pies and Stilton and 

Red Leicester cheeses. 

Kosher and halal food is sold in 

supermarkets. There are also a large 

number of halal butchers in Leicester 

and Loughborough. The Halal Monitoring 

Committee (which monitors, inspects and 

certifies halal products nationally) has its 

head office in Leicester. They provide a list 

of certified halal butchers on their website 

(www.halalmc.co.uk/). There are also 

specialist African-Caribbean food outlets 

and in recent years an increasing number 

of shops selling Polish food and other 

products. 

Vegetarian and vegan food is fairly 

common in supermarkets and health food 

shops, and is usually labelled as such. 

Food labels will also show details such 

as salt, fat and protein content, and the 

presence of potential allergens such as 

nuts, milk and gluten. All food in shops 

will be labelled with the date by which 

the food should be consumed. This is to 

help prevent food poisoning and therefore 

it is not a good idea to buy food that is 

out of date and it may be illegal for the 

shopkeeper to sell this produce. 

Most UK residents buy meat and dairy 

products from shops, and do not hunt 

or keep animals for food. There are laws 

regarding the treatment of animals and 

livestock, and some species are protected. 

Your Local Authority can advise you on 

what animals you can keep at home. 

Used goods are sold by members of the 

public at local sales sometimes called 


103


jumble sales or car boot sales. Most towns 

have charity shops which also sell used 

goods. Details of where to find shops and 

supermarkets can be found in the Yellow 

Pages phone book. 

There are laws regulating how goods are 

sold and for the protection of buyers. You 

can find out about these at your local 

Trading Standards office or at Consumer 

Direct (www.consumerdirect.gov.uk). 

Information about Trading Standards in 


Food and Shopping 

Consumer Direct 08454 04 05 06 www.consumerdirect.gov.uk/ 

Halal Monitoring Committee 0870 240 7267 

Leicester can be found on www.leicester. 

gov.uk/business/trading-standards. 

For Leicestershire, click on www.leics.gov. 

uk/index/community/reg_services/tradingstandards.htm, 

and for Rutland, click on 

www.rutland.gov.uk/pp/service/detail. 

aspid=2499 

info@halalmc.org 

www.halalmc.co.uk/ 

104

Asylum 

s e e k e r s 

Part K - Asylum Seekers

Part K - Asylum Seekers 

106 

If you are an asylum seeker and have 

received an Asylum Registration Card 

(ARC) from the Border and Immigration 

Agency (BIA), it is likely that you are 

receiving some means of support from the 

National Asylum Support Service (NASS). 

NASS 

NASS provide help to destitute asylum 

seekers in the way of financial support 

and housing (if needed), whilst their 

claims to asylum are being assessed. 

Following a period in temporary or short 

term accommodation, asylum seekers 

are dispersed into NASS accommodation. 

This accommodation is offered on a No 

Choice basis which means you cannot 

choose where you want to live. However if 

you choose to have financial support only 

(could be termed Subs or Support only) 

you can choose where you live but you 

will not be given assistance with housing 

costs. However if you live with family or 

friends who are already in NASS or council 

accommodation you and your family/ 

friend may be breaking your/their tenancy 

regulations. 

As an asylum seeker, you cannot claim 

mainstream income support or benefits. 

Your weekly financial support comes 

directly from NASS. As of March 2008, 

the figures were as follows: 

• Child under 16 £47.45 

• Child aged 16 or 17 £35.66 

• Single person aged 

18 to 24 £32.80 

• Single person aged 

25 or over £41.41 

• Lone parent aged 

18 or over £41.41 

• Qualifying couples £64.96 

If you are an Asylum Seeker: 

• You can only do paid work if you have 

not had a decision on your asylum 

claim for 6 months. You can only then 

work if you apply for and are granted 

Permission to Work. You may also work 

after being given leave to remain in the 

UK. 

• However, you can do voluntary work. 

• You can attend subsidised courses at a 

college, but not in higher education. 

• School age children up to the age of 16 

must attend school. 

Asylum Decisions 

The asylum decision-making process 

is complex. It is important that you 

understand the process and what may 

happen to you and your support when 

you get a positive or negative decision 

on your asylum claim. There are people 

and organisations that can help you fully 

understand and offer some advice and 

support. Refugee Action, who provide 

advice and support to asylum seekers, 

refugees and partner organisations, is a 

good example of a national body that also 

operates locally. 

Support 

There are a variety of local forms of 

support in and around Leicester. Local 

groups based on nationality do exist. There 

are also various projects and groups, some 

of whom are linked to the Church (e.g. 

Diocese of Leicester ‘Welcome Project’). 

Other important means of support are 

provided by the British Red Cross and 

a new body called Leicester City of

Sanctuary which is part of a national 

movement working towards creating 

a more hospitable climate for asylum 

seekers and refugees. Multi-agency Asylum 

Seeker and Refugee forums operate in 

both Leicester and in the Charnwood area. 

The Dreamers project in Loughborough 

provides support and activities for young 

asylum seekers from a variety of countries 

of origin. Based at Mountfields Lodge 

Youth Centre, the project has about 90 

members and has received a nationallyrecognised 

award for its work. Leicester 

City Primary Care Trust provides a health 

service (called ‘ASSIST’) specifically for 

people seeking asylum at the Clyde Street 

Medical Centre not far from Leicester City 

Centre. 


ASSIST Service – for Asylum Seekers & 

Refugees 

Asylum Seekers and Refugees Unit 0116 252 8742 

British Red Cross (Leicestershire & Rutland 

Branch) 

Dreamers Project (Loughborough) 

East Midlands Consortium for Asylum and 

Refugee Support (EMCARS) 

East Midlands Regional Reporting Centre 

(Immigration reporting) 

0116 295 2400 Address: 1a Clyde Street, Leicester 

refugee.support@leicester.gov.uk 

www.leicester.gov.uk 

0845 054 7171 www.redcross.org.uk 

01509 267796 

01509 236043 

01664 502555 

Leicester City of Sanctuary 07716 073403 

Leicester Welcome Project 0116 248 7424 

National Asylum Support Service (NASS) 

- East Midlands Region 

01332 638617 

alake@leics.gov.uk 

www.thejitty.com/dreamers.html 

info@emcars.org.uk 

www.emcars.org.uk/ 

Address: 10 South Street, 

Loughborough, Leicestershire LE11 

3EG 

leicester@cityofsanctuary.com 

www.cityofsanctuary.com/ 

www.leicester.anglican.org/bsr/index. 

htm 

Refugee Action (Leicester) 0116 261 6200 www.refugee-action.org.uk/ 

Refugee and Asylum Seekers Advice Project 

Refugee Integration and Development Agency 

(RIDA) 

0116 299 

9807/8 

0116 262 3731 

www.lrec.org.uk/RASAP.htm 

Refugee Support 0116 257 4000 www.refugeesupport.org.uk 

Toc H Leicester 0116 275 6541 www.toch.org.uk 

Part K - Asylum Seekers 

107

Who can provide More 

Information 

There are a large number of local groups 

and organisations catering for the many 

different cultures, faiths and nationalities 

in Leicester and Leicestershire. The 

Leicestershire Ethnic Minority Partnership 

is a useful organisation for information 

on such groups, as are the two Racial 

Equality Councils situated in Leicester 

and Charnwood. There will, nevertheless, 

be communities that are not represented 

by organisations at a local level (though 

some are, e.g. Polish). Many of these 

are the new communities to the area. 

Organisations do exist at national level, 

however, and some examples are included 

in the following list of contacts. 

Julian Harrison at Leicestershire County 

Council can also be contacted for further 

information on all such groups and 

organisations, whether at local or national/ 

international level. He can be contacted 

by ringing 0116 305 7018 or by email on 

jnharrison@leics.gov.uk. 

More Information 





Leicestershire Ethnic Minority 

info@lemp-leics.org.uk 

0116 242 4098 

Partnership (LEMP) 

www.lemp-leics.org.uk 

Migrant Gateway 

0871 423 1334 

0845 234 0708 

www.migrantgateway.eu 



www.lrec.org.uk/ 

Afghan 

Afghanistan Directory 

afghanu2000@yahoo.com 

www.afghana.com/ 

Society of Afghan Residents in the UK 0208 993 8168 www.sarinuk.com/home.htm 

Albanian 

Albanian Youth Action 

0207 922 7900 info@albanianyouthaction.org.uk 

0207 922 7901 www.albanianyouthaction.org.uk/ 

UKAlbanians.org 

www.ukalbanians.org/ 

Bosnian 

Bosnia Herzegovina Community UK 0207 976 5225 bosniavictoria@aol.com 

The Bosnian Institute 0207 243 2900 

info@bosnia.org.uk 

www.bosnia.org.uk/default.cfm 

Bulgarian 

British-Bulgarian Friendship Society 01273 726433 www.bbfs.org.uk/ 

Czech/Slovak 

Anglo-Czechoslovak Trust 0207 278 8459 www.actrust.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/ 

British Czech and Slovak Association 0208 902 0328 

secretary@bcsa.co.uk 

www.bcsa.co.uk/ 

Czech Centre London 0207 307 5180 

info@czechcentre.org.uk 

www.czechcentres.cz/london/novinky.asp 

Echo magazine online (For Czechs and 

Slovaks in Great Britain and Ireland) 

0208 520 8801 

07962 964580 

Slovak Centre in the UK 0208 673 3071 

Iranian 

International Federation of Iranian 

Refugees (UK Branch) 

editor@echomagazin.com 

www.echomagazin.com/ 

martin.hakel@slovakcentre.co.uk 

www.slovakcentre.co.uk/ 

07946 752534 

07931 866985 

Iranian Association 0208 748 6682 www.iranianassociation.org.uk/ 

Iraqi 

International Federation of Iraqi 

Refugees 

Iraqi Association 0208 741 5491 

Polish 

Britaintown.com (The Polish 

Community in England) 

ifiruk@yahoo.com 

www.hambastegi.org/ifiruk/eng-page.htm 

07734 704742 d.jamal@ntlworld.com 

07716 739085 

info@iraqiassociation.org 

www.iraqicommunity.org/ 

redakcja@britaintown.com 

www.britaintown.com/

Federation of Poles in Great Britain 0208 741 1606 

Leicester Polish Community - local 

organisation 

Polish Express (weekly Polish 

newspaper) 

Polski wymiar Melton Mowbray – local 

organisation 

Romanian 

Diaspora Româneascã (weekly 

newspaper in Romanian) 

0208 964 4788 

07706 255161 

0208 802 2792 

Romanians in UK 0208 735 6524 

Somali 

Somali Afro European Media Project 

(SAEMP) – local organisation 

Somali Eye Magazine 

Somali Voice 

0116 247 0162 

07984 085135 

0208 980 9771 

07944 893815 

0117 952 5383 

07960 236638 

office@zpwb.org.uk 

www.zpwb.org.uk/eg/index.php 

www.leicesterpolonia.co.uk/ 

editorial@polishexpress.co.uk 

www.polishexpress.co.uk/ 

admin@e-melton.co.uk 

www.polish.e-melton.co.uk 

redactia@diasporaro.com 

www.diasporaro.com/ 

ziar@romani.co.uk 

www.romani.co.uk/ 

info@saemp.org.uk 

www.saemp.org.uk/home.htm 

info@somalivoice.org 

www.somalivoice.org/ 

info@thesomalivoice.co.uk 

www.thesomalivoice.co.uk/ 

Zimbabwean 

Zimbabwe Association 0207 549 0355 

zimbabweassociation@yahoo.co.uk 

www.zimbabweassociation.org/index.html 

The Zimbabwean 02380 845271 www.thezimbabwean.co.uk 

The following is a list and contact details 

of the embassies of the new Central 

and Eastern European Union Accession 

Countries. A full list of all embassies/ 

consulates is available from the Foreign 

and Commonwealth Office (FCO) in 

London. The telephone number for general 

enquiries at the FCO is 0207 008 1500. 

Details are also available on the FCO 

website (www.fco.gov.uk). Click on the 

‘Country Profiles’ item under the ‘About the 

FCO’ heading and then select your country 

of choice. 

More Information 

National Embassy Phone Number Email/Website 

Bulgaria 

0207 584 9400 info@bulgarianembassy.org.uk 

0207 584 9433 www.bulgarianembassy.org.uk 

Czech Republic 0207 243 1115 

london@embassy.mzv.cz 

www.czechembassy.org.uk 

Estonia 0207 589 3428 

embassy.london@estonia.gov.uk 

www.estonia.gov.uk 

Hungary 0207 201 3440 

office.lon@kum.hu 

www.huemblon.org.uk 

www.mfa.gov.hu/emb/london 

Latvia 0207 312 0040 

embassy.uk@mfa.gov.lv 

www.london.mfa.gov.lv 

Lithuania 0207 486 6401 

amb.uk@urm.lt 

http://uk.mfa.lt 

Poland 0870 774 2700 

polishembassy@polishembassy.org.uk 

www.polishembassy.org.uk 

Romania 0207 937 9666 

roemb@roemb.co.uk 

http://londra.mae.ro/ 

Slovak Republic 0207 313 6470 

cons.london@mzv.sk 

www.slovakembassy.co.uk 

Slovenia 0207 222 5700 

vlo@gov.si 

http://slovenia.embassyhomepage.com/

Final Comments 

We hope that you now feel more 

knowledgeable about how things work 

in this country. As a result, we also hope 

that you are more relaxed, comfortable 

and confident about your new life here. 

Please let us know what you think about 

this document, and indeed about your 

experiences in Leicestershire and the 

UK. Get in touch with Julian Harrison at 

Leicestershire County Council (Contact 

details are included below). 

Please also get involved, whether that be 

in your local community or more formally. 

As you will now know, there are many 

local organisations that would always be 

grateful for your support and an extra pair 

of hands! There are also local consultation 

panels, set up to receive views from the 

community about their services, including 

the 27 Community Forums that cover all 

of the county, for example. Leicestershire’s 

Voice exists at a county level. It is a 

panel of local people that are asked by 

Leicestershire County Council for their 

views on a number of issues throughout 

the year. Information on this can be found 

on the County Council website (www.leics. 

gov.uk/index/your_council/haveyoursay/ 

consultation_citizens_panel_voice.htm) or 

you could telephone 0116 305 6096. 

Another possibility is to become a Citizens 

Reporter and be a mouthpiece as well as 

a messenger for your community. Citizens 

Eye is a new organisation with its roots 

in Leicestershire’s Black and Minority 

Ethnic Citizens Jury. Why not take a look 

at their website and see if this is an area 

in which you might be interested in getting 

involved The website address is 

www.citizenseye.org/. 

You don’t need to join something to make 

a contribution to your community. You can 

make a real difference on an informal basis 

by simply helping and offering support 

to people around you. The more you get 

involved, meet people and make friends, 

the more enjoyable your life will be here in 

our City and County. 

We have tried in this document to be as 

accurate as we can. However, there will 

undoubtedly be errors. Things get out of 

date very quickly. As a result, we will be 

reproducing and updating this document 

at least once a year, so please let us know 

if any information is wrong, so that we can 

change things for the next copy. 

As we mentioned at the beginning, a very 

warm welcome to you. We are so pleased 

and honoured that you have joined our 

community. 

Contact 

This publication has been produced 

as part of Leicestershire’s Together’s 

Community Cohesion Framework. 

For further information about both of 

these, please contact Julian Harrison at 

Leicestershire County Council. 

Julian Harrison 

Community Planning Manager 

Policy Team, Chief Executive’s Department 

Leicestershire County Council 

County Hall 

Glenfield 

Leicester LE3 8RA 

Tel: 0116 305 7018 

Fax: 0116 265 7271 

Email: jnharrison@leics.gov.uk

Welcome to Leicestershire - Leicestershire Together

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