TasterLab

Moove2London is really excited to tell you about Taster Lab which is a brand new way of trying out classes or new experiences in London……for FREE!!! If you’re skint but bored after Christmas, then this is just what you’re looking for.

Have you ever thought about learning Spanish? Fancy yourself as the next Amir Khan in the boxing ring? Or just want some gentle soothing yoga lessons?

Taster Lab lets you do all these things in London, without the commitment of initially parting with heaps of cash and signing up for a term of lessons. Instead, TasterLab offers either completely FREE or massively discounted classes, so that you can ‘try’ before you ‘buy’ an entire bundle of classes.

Another benefit of signing up with TasterLab instead of one of the other famous sites offering great deals, is that Tasterlab won’t give out too many taster sessions at once, resulting in flooding a business with too many new customers and which they’re unable to deal with. Instead, tasters are given out in small batches and when that batch runs out you’ll have to wait for the next batch of ‘tasters’ to be released. This is of course a great reason not to mess about, if a taster catches your eye, sign yourself up for it before it gets booked up.

Taster Lab has different offers on all the time, but at the time that this article was written the following Taster sessions are available to sample for FREE….

• A 30 minute life-coaching session for FREE in North London
• One FREE group badminton session for you and your friends in South London
• 30 minute FREE private bass guitar, saxonphone, trumpet, piano, flute, drums, double bass, cello or clarinet lessons in South London
• FREE 30 minute golf lesson on indoor simulator in South London
• FREE Muay Thai Kickboxing class in North London
• FREE Mixed Martial Arts class with MM instructor in East London
• Outdoor fitness training session for FREE in East London
• FREE Polish lesson in a location of your choice
• 1 free group Squash class for you and 5 friends in South London
• 1 free group Salsa lesson in Central and East London
• FREE 90 minute Tai Chi class in South London
• FREE group Tango class led by expert teachers in Central or East London
• FREE group Wrestling class in East London
• FREE Hatha Yoga class in South London

This is only a very small selection of free classes in London that you can take part in with TasterLab. Take a look at their site today and have a packed New Year schedule for no cost at all.

Big British Giveaway

Moove2London is excited to announce that we’ve teamed up with the Big British Giveaway, Big Aussie Giveaway and Big American Giveaway and will be giving 12 lucky people the chance to win some free email consultations helping them with their move to London in 2012. Some prizes help with C.Vs and job-seeking, whereas others assist with accommodation and residential area selection. The fantastic services that we’re giving away for free in January are also now available to purchase. More details about this on our Relocation Services page.

The giveaways will take place on the following dates:

In Australia:
Sydney – 4th January
Melbourne – 4th January
Brisbane – 4th January

In America:
New York – 4th January
Washington – 4th January
Texas – 4th January

In the UK:
Sheffield – 10th January
Birmingham – 11th January
Leicester – 11th January
Leeds – 13th January
Manchester – 13th January
Liverpool – 14th January
Bradford – 14th January
Coventry – 16th January
Bristol – 18th January

Youth unemployment in London

Recent figures from the Office of National Statistics suggest that youth unemployment in the UK has now hit 1 million. It also seems that foreign workers are getting more jobs than homegrown British talent. As an example, the popular fast food franchise Pret A Manger has at least 2 shops in London that don’t employ any British staff at all.
The number of British-born workers has decreased by 850 people a day at a time when foreign workers has increased by around 495 a day.
Unofficially, the common mentalities behind choosing to employ workers from overseas rather than Brits, appear to include reasons such as a)foreign workers are happier to work for less money than Brits, b) they are harder-working than British people and c) they’re more likely to turn up on time.

Of course this may come as welcome news if you are moving to London from abroad. But what should you do if you’re an out of work Londoner, or are thinking of moving down to London in the near future?

First of all, you need to decide what kind of job you’re willing to do. If you’re a graduate and are happy to wait a while, going through extensive recruitment processes before being employed in the job of your dreams, then this is fine so long as you can afford to do so. But you might be better off making do with what we call survival jobs, which will help keep the bills paid, your CV nicely padded out and hopefully keep you sane whilst you interview for a more appropriate job for you.

Obviously the evidence above makes it sound like if you’re a Brit then you won’t manage to get any type of work. This is a particularly negative slant on a bad situation. There are still jobs out there so long as you don’t mind working for a little while in shops, pubs or restaurants. But if you do manage to secure one of these roles, then don’t blow it by proving to bosses why they should stick to employing foreign workers over Brits. It may not be the job of your dreams, but turning up on time and putting some effort in during working hours are the basics of holding down a job. At least until something better comes along.

Slutwalk London 2012

This evening (11th November) at 8pm at the Royal Vauxhall Tavern in SE11, a fundraiser is taking place to raise money for Slutwalk London 2012.

For those of you who aren’t familiar with the term ‘Slutwalk’ and think that we’ve lost our minds, then please let us explain.

In January of this year, a policeman in Toronto, Canada who was giving a talk on crime prevention at York university, remarked that ‘women should avoid dressing like sluts in order not to be victimised’. This attitude that a woman could be to blame for being assaulted or raped, has sparked enormous outcry across the world and a series of protest marches have been created. These protests are named ‘Slutwalks’.

Marches have taken place in great cities such as Berlin, Melbourne, New York, Chicago, Helsinki and Delhi, but on 11 June, 2011 Slutwalk came to our very own London. Thousands of people from different backgrounds, religions and genders marched to protest against the ‘silencing of our voices, the repression of our choices and the violence against our bodies’. In particular Slutwalk is extremely concerned that as many as 95% of rapes go unreported.

Slutwalk London 2011 was so successful, that 6 months down the line, they’re organising the next one for 2012. If you’re interested in supporting this cause and don’t have chance to get down to the Royal Vauxhall Tavern to lend your support, then take a look at their Facebook page – Slutwalk London or take a look at their site slutmeansspeakup.org.uk

Can you move to London with no money?

It’s that time of year when many final year students graduate, have a bit of a holiday and then think ‘yikes, what next?’, so the question that we’re asking and answering is ‘Can you move to London with no money?’.

Let’s look at what you’ll need money for when you first move to London.

Accommodation

The biggest wallet zapper of all is the cost of your accommodation, whether it be short-term accommodation such as a hostel, or moving into shared rental accommodation, where you’ll usually need to pay rent and a deposit up front. Of course assuming that we’re not referring to park benches, then a way to avoid paying any accommodation costs when you first move to London is to take up rent-free residence on the sofa or in the spare room of a very understanding friend, family member or romantic interest. If you’re lucky enough to be able to choose this as an option, then thank your lucky stars and make sure that you don’t take advantage. Keep up more than your fair share of domestic duties to keep your hosts happy whilst you’re in residence and be extremely proactive in looking for work and alternative accommodation so that they don’t start to panic that this situation is forever.

Travel

Getting around London can be expensive, but it all really depends on where you’re based and where you need to get to. If you happen to be staying somewhere fairly near Central London and you’re interviewing for jobs and visiting agencies also in Central London, then you may possibly be able to get by without paying for public transport. Instead, if you have a bike, then you could cycle or even walk if you’re really energetic. But if not, then you’ll need to cough up a bit of cash for an Oyster card. You can purchase this in advance of moving to London – visit tfl.gov.uk/oyster for details – basically you pay £5 deposit for a pre-pay Oyster card, then add some credit to it and you can use it until you run out of credit.

Food and Drink

Unless you have exceptionally understanding hosts, you’ll also require some money to pay for food and drink to keep yourself functioning! If you genuinely don’t have any money until you find work, then you’re probably going to have to use a credit card or take out a small loan until you do find a job in London. Not ideal, but neither is starving.

These are the 3 main areas that you’ll require finances for when you first move to London. Of course, the way to give yourself a head start in obtaining money for work is to have started your job searching before you arrive in London.

If you’re UK-based (or from overseas) then the easiest thing to do is to upload your C.V to Monster which is totally free to do and makes your information available to headhunters from big London firms.

If you’re from overseas, then before you leave home you should definitely take a look at this Kickstart package, which as well as providing you with C.V and job assistance, also sorts you out with a UK bank account, National Insurance number, UK SIM card, free accommodation assistance and loads of other helpful services.

So in answer to the question, ‘can you move to London with no money?’, the answer is a technical ‘yes’. Given the right situation and some extremely helpful contacts, you could just about survive in London for a short while with no startup funds. Is it advisable? Probably not. It’s almost always a good idea to have some savings, however minimal, before you relocate to any new location, and London is no exception to this logic.

Getting a National Insurance Number for Working in London

If you’re moving to London (or elsewhere in the UK) from abroad, you’ll need to apply immediately for a National Insurance (NI) number and pay contributions like other people who normally live and work here.

The National Insurance Number is the number used by the government to track your taxes and national insurance contributions. Everyone who wants to work in the UK needs one and you must be in the UK before the government will issue your number. If you do not have your NI number you will be paying emergency tax.

There are 2 ways to apply for your NI number:

1. 1st Contact offers an Easy NINO service where they can assist you with your entire NI number application. For a small fee of £30 they remove all the hassle, make the calls, do some paperwork for you and guarantee your NI number within 2-4 weeks. 1st Contact will also provide you with a letter of employment if you haven’t started working yet. (1st Contact Kickstart clients receive the Easy NINO service at a discounted fee of £17.50)

Simply:
1. Complete the online questionnaire
2. Sign the postal application form OR attend the Evidence of Identity Interview that 1st Contact will arrange for you
3. Receive your NI Number in 2-4 weeks (often sooner!)

Purchase your National Insurance Number online

2. You can apply for an NI number at your JobCentre Plus on +44 (0) 845 600 0643. Depending on your passport and visa details; you will either need to arrange an interview, or have the application posted to you. Please bear in mind that interviews can take up to six weeks to book, and a further four weeks for you to be allocated a permanent NI number. The JobCentre can be unreliable at times so occasionally they fail to post you your application or NI number.
You will need to provide the following documents to apply for your NI number:
1. Proof of identity, which can be your passport you are legally entitled to work in the UK with.
2. Proof of employment or recruitment agency that you are actively seeking work.
3. Proof of residence, which can be a utility bill or UK bank statement.

Opening a bank account in the UK, when arriving from overseas

Once you’ve moved to London, or elsewhere in the UK, you’re most likely going to require a bank account- whether it’s for receiving a salary, or paying bills.

In order to open a bank account in the UK, the banks are required by law (to combat money laundering) to know a great deal about their customers. Therefore, new customers must present documentary forms of I.D to prove their identities.

The two main types of I.D that are required are

a) Photographic I.D

b) Proof of address

You will need original copies of all documentation, photocopies are not acceptable.

The photo I.D part should be fairly easy to produce, as if you’ve recently arrived in the country from overseas, the chances are that you’ll have your passport with you.

The address part isn’t quite so easy. If you have a copy of a tenancy agreement with your new address, this would be ideal. If not, and you’re working, you could get a letter from your current employer, complete with payslips stating your address. If you’re a student, speak to your university about writing a letter proving you’re resident at the university -in halls or other student accommodation. You should also take proof of a previous address in your home country, so that the bank can do a reference check on you, with your signed permission.

Fortunately 1st Contact, a company focused on helping new arrivals to the UK, who are the longest running relocation company for working travellers heading to the UK, offer a fee free UK bank account with a Kickstart package that will make your life easier and save you loads of time when you first arrive.

1st Contact Kickstart Package

1st Contact is the longest running relocation company for working travellers heading to the UK. The Kickstart package is the best way to remove the stress of relocating and help you settle comfortably into your new London life. It is great value for money and saves a lot of time and hassle allowing you to start enjoying your UK experience sooner.

The Kickstart package, which costs only AUS$85, NZ$99, R390 in SA, and £35 in the UK, includes:
 UK Bank account
You have a choice of four different banks, HSBC, Barclays, Lloyds TSB or Metro Bank.
 UK National Insurance Number Assistance
Avoid paying emergency Tax by registering for your NI Number.
 A UK SIM card
Pay & Go SIM card has cheap international call rates and data download. Receive your UK number before you leave home!
 Free International money transfer
Send your money to your new UK bank account for free with 1st Contact Forex.
 Pre registration to 1st Contact Umbrella
Working in a temporary contract position in the UK? 1st Contact Umbrella can help you increase your take home pay and claim back a part of your relocation costs including your flights!
 CV and Job Assistance
1st Contact Job Assistance work with over 100 of the UK’s premier recruitment agencies and they can help to find you a job before you leave home.
 Free Accommodation Assistance
We teamed up with a network of accommodation providers to suit your budget, from private studio apartments to hostels.
 Free 5 days gym membership
PLUS discounted gym contract.
 UK informative Guide
Everything you need to know about London from the transport system, the UK tax system, the healthcare system, UK sporting events, driving, entertainment, finding work, travelling abroad and lots more.
 PLUS
Discounts on 1st Contact Services and affiliated partners including tax refunds, shipping, accommodation and tour operators.
 Optional Additional Extras
EURO Travel Money Card, A-Z London Guide, TNT Little Black Book and Mobile Broadband Dongle

How it works?
Once completing the Kickstart application a Kickstart consultant will be in contact with your Kickstart reference code and further details about the package.
The 1st Contact London office will contact you pre-departure and you will personalise your own Kickstart package and choose your appropriate bank appointment time online.
You can either collect your Kickstart pack from the 1st Contact office in London or we can arrange to have your package posted to your UK address. You’ll attend your pre booked bank appointment with your passport and ‘Kickstart bank letter’, which is provided to you in your Kickstart pack. The bank consultant will assist you in opening your bank account and provide your bank account details on the same day. Once your account is open, you will receive your bank documents within 7-10 working days.

VERY IMPORTANT: You must bring your passport (showing your visa with your entitlement to work in the UK) to both the 1st Contact office and bank meeting.
If you cannot attend a bank appointment in London, then your bank account can be opened with HSBC via a postal application in the UK. Alternatively 1st Contact offers a Pre Departure bank account where you can open your UK bank account before you leave home.

Apply for your 1st Contact Kickstart Package now.

Rent out your London home during the Royal Wedding &/Or Olympics

If you move to London, you’ll discover that the capital is always throwing a different type of exciting spectator event. But none moreso than two events taking place in the next 18 months. The Royal Wedding of Kate Middleton and Prince William taking place on Friday 29th April, 2011 followed by the 2012 Olympics commencing on 27 July 2012 will both attract millions of visitors and viewers from all around the world.

It doesn’t take a genius to work out that there’s a quid or two to make out of both these occasions. Reportedly 1 in 4 London homeowners are now considering the idea of fleeing the capital during these events, in favour of letting out their own homes at extortionate prices to tourists. It’s actually estimated that Londoners will make £100 million if they get in on this craze! In many ways this does make sense. London will be heaving with people, transport could well be a nightmare and you might prefer to visit friends or family in the rest of the UK, or even take a trip abroad to avoid the mayhem. Visitors to London may find that hotels are fully booked or too expensive and those travelling in a larger group may prefer the convenience of staying in informal lodgings where they don’t mind sleeping on sofas or in sleeping bags.

Of course if you are considering making some money out of your home, the first thing to decide is how much of your home your accommodation you’re willing to give up. Will you be staying in the house with the lodgers and simply let out one or more of your spare rooms? Or will you be willing to vacate your whole property? You’ll get far more money out of vacating your home completely, but of course there are some massive risks to be taken with this. You’ll need to make sure that all valuables and sentimental personal possessions are either removed from the property or safely locked away in a safe (preferably hidden). You’ll also probably need to create some storage space for your guests and you may find that you have to leave instructions and notes that you may want to get across.

If you’re intrigued by the idea of how much you could get for your property, go home tonight and look around at the space you’d be willing to let out. The average for a single room in an occupied property seems to be around £50 per night.
Once you’ve made your decision, simply visit Easyroommate and post an ad describing your accommodation to let.

Graduate Extra Card

As many of you reading this site will be recent graduates who are looking to move to London, we thought you might be interested in the NUS Graduate Extra Card .

This fantastic card, which is only available to recent graduates provides access to tons of amazing discounts, a few of which include:

• FREE Premium Membership at Flatmatch.com
• 12% off all I.T courses at Wanttolearnit.com
• 7% off at Boots
• 4% off extra free at Asda
• 50% off at Career Energy – advice and support to kickstart your career
• 10% off Coast
• 20% off your food bill at Pizza Express
• 30% off the cost of glasses or lenses at Vision Express
• Great discounts with Ticketmaster
• 5% off TrekAmerica Tours
• 15% off at Austin Reed

These are only a selection of around 90 graduate discounts that you’ll be able to take advantage of when you are a Graduate Extra Card , holder.

Another benefit of the card, is that it offers all holders access to a FREE legal helpline.

As a new graduate, you may want legal advice on tenancy agreements and landlord issues, or you simply may want assistance in deciphering your new employment contract. Take advantage of this FREE service 24 hours a day, 365 days of the year.

Finally, let’s talk costs. The Graduate Extra Card costs £30, is available to recent graduates. The cost covers all the above (and MUCH more) for 2 years.

It really is worth it, so at the very least take a look at their site and see if you’re interested.