Libraries of Sanctuary

1. Organisation: Cambridge City Council

Description: Cambridge City Council have been supporting refugee families to establish new lives in and around Cambridge since 2015. Please visit their website to find out what is available.

Website: Refugee support - Cambridge City Council

2. Organisation: South Cambridge District Council

Description: South Cambridge District Council’s Housing portal is a one-stop place for information on how to get housing advice, how to apply for housing, housing benefits information, repairs, neighbourhood issues and much more.

Website: Housing - South Cambs District Council (scambs.gov.uk)

3. Organisation: Huntingdonshire District Council

Description: Huntingdonshire District Council housing portal provides information for those trying to find a home, threatened with homelessness, looking for advice for tenants, and much more.

Website: Housing - Huntingdonshire.gov.uk

4.  Organisation: East Cambridgeshire District Council

Description: East Cambridgeshire District Council have a web page on the support they have available for migrant workers in the district.

Website: Application and support | East Cambridgeshire District Council (eastcambs.gov.uk)

5. Organisation: Fenland District Council

Description: Fenland District Council’s Housing portal offers information on how to access housing advice, access support if you’re facing or at risk of homelessness, advice for tenants in poor conditions in privately rented accommodation, and more.

Website: Housing - Fenland District Council

6. Organisation: Wintercomfort

Description: Wintercomfort is an information, advice, training, and support hub in Cambridge for those who are vulnerably housed, homeless or at risk of homelessness. Their services include housing advice and help with benefits and managing money.

Website: Wintercomfort

7.  Organisation: Cambridge Refugee Resettlement Campaign

Description: CRRC is a registered charity for the purpose of supporting the resettlement of refugees in the Cambridge area. They provide a wide range of practical support to resettled refugee families, including providing welcome packs and securing household necessities for refugees.

Website: Cambridge Refugee Resettlement Campaign (cambridgerefugees.org)

1. Organisation: Cambridge Refugee Resettlement Campaign 

Description: Cambridge Refugee Resettlement Campaign has partnered with Laptops4Learning, a company that refurbishes tech devices obtained from companies and educational establishments and recycles them, ready for use by people in need. This offer is available across Cambridgeshire, subject to availability.

Website: Cambridge Refugee Resettlement Campaign (cambridgerefugees.org)

2. Organisation: Cambridgeshire Libraries (Learn My Way)

Description: All Cambridgeshire Libraries are Online Learning Centres with computers, free Wi-Fi for all visitors, printing facilities, and helpful library staff and volunteers.

We encourage those new to the Internet and computers to have a go at using Learn My Way, a free online learning programme to help people develop basic digital skills. If you are helping others to learn, you might want to download the free learning guides and make the most of Learn My Way.

Learn My Way is provided by Good Things Foundation.

We also have laptops available for loan for a period of 7 days, free to members of Cambridgeshire Libraries. If you are not a member yet, it is free to join. Please ask library staff about our LendIT offer.

Website: Register on Learn My Way 

1. Organisation: Cambridgeshire Skills

Description: Cambridgeshire Skills have quality courses that are designed to help you develop the skills and knowledge you need to find a new job, gain a promotion, or help you into employment. These include ESOL courses that can help speakers of other languages integrate into their communities and find or progress in work.

Website: Cambridgeshire Skills - Adult Learning and Skills (https://www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/cambs-skills)

2. Organisation: Workers’ Educational Association

Description: The WEA is a leading education charity with a legacy that stretches back over 115 years. Their courses can help you learn how to speak, listen, read, and write in English to get a job, understand your doctor, help your children at school and more. The WEA have also run “Welcome to the UK” courses for refugees.

Website: ESOL courses - learn English for FREE | WEA

3. Organisation: Cambridge Regional College

Description: Cambridge Regional College's ESOL (English as a Second or Other Language) classes are designed for those living in the UK whose first language is not English and who would like to improve their English Language skills for work, study, or everyday life. They offer in-person classes in Cambridge and Huntingdon and have an online offer.

Website: ESOL, English & Maths - Cambridge Regional College (camre.ac.uk)

4. Organisation: Cambridgeshire Libraries

Description: Cambridgeshire Libraries offer a wide range of language learning resources, from languages courses and dual-language books to our Quick Reads collection. Our Online reference library also gives free access to resources such as the Oxford English Dictionary, with pronunciation guides for 600,000 word, and Oxford Dictionaries, which include a dictionary and thesaurus of current English, as well as bilingual dictionaries for the following languages: Spanish, French, German, Italian, Arabic, Russian, Chinese, and Portuguese. It also includes language learning support and English grammar resources.

You can also visit Library.Live for the latest events in libraries. Cambridge Central Library hosts a free weekly Improve Your English conversation group (Wednesdays, 5-6pm), Whittlesey Library hosts a Language Café on Fridays (1-2pm), and our partners Cambridgeshire Skills sometimes also deliver their ESOL offer in libraries.

Website: Learning and research with libraries - Cambridgeshire County Council

5. Organisation: Breaking News

Description: A series of free, ready-to-use English lessons based on the latest breaking news stories in 7 levels, with new lessons uploaded twice a week.

Website: Breaking News English Lessons: Easy English World News Materials - ESL

6. Organisation: BBC Learning English

Description: A selection of free audio, video and text BBC materials to help English learners from around the world.

Website: BBC Learning English - BBC Learning English - Homepage

1. Organisation: National Careers Service

Description: If you are eligible to work, the National Careers Service provide careers information, advice, and guidance. They can help you to make decisions on learning, training, and work at all stages in your career.

Website: Careers advice - job profiles, information, and resources | National Careers Service

2. Organisation: Jobcentre Plus

Description: If you are eligible to work, your local Jobcentre Plus can help you get a National Insurance number, navigate access to jobseekers' allowance and other benefits, and find a job.

Check if you need a UK visa - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Website: Contact Jobcentre Plus: How to contact Jobcentre Plus - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

3. Organisation: Form the Future

Description: Form the Future offer support to unemployed young people aged 15 to 24 years old, including personalised CV and application writing support, work experience, and future career path needs assessment.

Website: Home - Form the Future CIC

4. Organisation: UCAS (Universities and Colleges Admissions Service)

Description: UCAS may be able to offer support if you’re a refugee, asylum seeker or have limited leave to remain in the UK and are applying for higher education.

Website: Student finance for refugees, asylum seekers, and those with limited leave to remain | Undergraduate, Postgraduate, Conservatoires | UCAS

5. Organisation: Workers’ Educational Association

Description: The WEA run “Supporting Employment Opportunities” courses designed to assist and to give confidence to ESOL learners to progress to find employment or to go into Further Education, and also to develop their employment prospects and confidence.

Website: WEA National homepage | WEA

6. Organisation: Business & IP Centre (BIPC) Cambridgeshire & Peterborough

Description: The Business & IP Centre (BIPC) Cambridgeshire & Peterborough provides free and low-cost business support and advice to start up business owners, entrepreneurs, and inventors like you.

Website: Business & IP Centre Cambridgeshire (BIPC) - Cambridgeshire County Council

7. Organisation: Cambridge Refugee Resettlement Campaign

Description: CRRC is a registered charity for the purpose of supporting the resettlement of refugees in the Cambridge area. They provide a wide range of practical support to resettled refugee families, including assistance with the development of employability skills, and working with local employers to identify appropriate openings.

Website: Cambridge Refugee Resettlement Campaign (cambridgerefugees.org)

8. Organisation: Displaced Student Opportunities UK

Description: A comprehensive source of information about accessing higher education for people who are displaced in the UK, plus guidance helping displaced students navigate their journey to higher education. Jointly hosted by Refugee Education UK, Student Action for Refugees, and Universities of Sanctuary.

Website: Displaced Student Opportunities 

9. Organisation: University of Cambridge support for refugees

Description: Resources for refugees, asylum seekers or anyone from a forced migration background may have specific concerns when considering or starting university.

Website: Support for refugees | Postgraduate Study (cam.ac.uk)

10. Organisation: Beam for Refugees

Description: Beam give people seeking sanctuary a dedicated caseworker and connect them with a supportive online community who provide funding and mentorship.

Website: Beam for refugees

1. Organisation: UK Visas and Immigration (part of the Home Office)

Description: Official government information on visas and immigration, including whether you need a visa, different requirements for work and study, and applying for British citizenship.

Website: UK Visas and Immigration - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

2. Organisation: Cambridge Ethnic Community Forum

Description: CECF provide advice and practical help to asylum seekers and refugees in Cambridge, including accessing asylum support, immigration advice, specialist counselling and ESOL.

Website: Refugee Services - Cambridge Ethnic Community Forum (cecf.co.uk)

3. Organisation: Cambridgeshire Libraries

Description: Cambridgeshire Libraries provide free access to Go Citizen, an online study resource for candidates preparing for the Life in the UK test or British citizenship test. Go Citizen contains official study materials licensed from the Home Office, hundreds of practice test questions in the same format as the official test, and interactive learning resources and teaching aids.

Website: Go Citizen

4. Organisation: Citizen’s Advice Bureau

Description: CAB offer support and advice on topics such as getting visas for family members, getting British citizenship, benefits, services, and immigration status, the Windrush scheme, and much more.

Website: Immigration - Citizens Advice

5. Organisation: Cambridge Refugee Resettlement Campaign

Description: CRRC is a registered charity for the purpose of supporting the resettlement of refugees in the Cambridge area. They provide a wide range of practical support to resettled refugee families.

Website: Cambridge Refugee Resettlement Campaign (cambridgerefugees.org)

1. Organisation: Cambridgeshire Libraries

Description: Cambridgeshire Libraries run many events and activities that give those new to the UK the opportunity to get to know their local communities in a friendly and welcoming environment. Our twice-yearly programme of live music, art, and theatre events, The Library Presents, is inclusive, exciting, and engaging for all ages and offers pay what you think options.

Website: Library Live | Home

2. Organisation: Cambridge Refugee Resettlement Campaign

Description: CRRC organise regular social events for their volunteers and the new arrivals they support. These social events are by invitation only; please contact them if you wish to be invited.

Website: Cambridge Refugee Resettlement Campaign (cambridgerefugees.org)

3. Organisation: How Are You Cambridgeshire & Peterborough

Description: How Are You (H.A.Y.) Cambridgeshire & Peterborough is a family of websites that bring together everything in the local community that boosts wellbeing, from a friendly ‘how are you,’ to activity groups and much more.

Website: H.A.Y. Home - How Are You Cambridgeshire and Peterborough (haycambspboro.co.uk)

See our General health information directory, “Information for new arrivals, migrants, and international students” section. 

District and city councils across Cambridgeshire are providing support for people arriving from Ukraine to live in the county. Each council has produced a welcome pack to support new arrivals: Support available to Ukrainian nationals.