Settling in · Forest Hall
Landing in Forest Hall? Start here.
The first fortnight in Forest Hall, in order: the paperwork that has to happen, then the places that make it feel like somewhere you could stay.
Week one and two
The order to do things in
1
Ring your Sama contact when you land
Whoever placed you. Tell them you arrived and that you are all right.
2
Apply for your National Insurance number
You can start work before it arrives, but do not leave it: your tax will be wrong until you have it.
3
Open a bank account
Passport, visa or share code, and proof of address. A letter from your employer usually does it.
4
Get a UK SIM
A local number makes the bank and the GP straightforward.
5
Register with a GP
Free at the point of use. Do it in your first week.
6
Check your tax code with HMRC
Get on the right code early or you will be paying too much for months.
7
Save your share code
You will be asked to prove your right to work and rent more than once.
8
Find the nearest shop, place of worship and club
The part that decides whether you stay, and the part no handbook covers.
Official, and free
Official finders
Run by the State, so they stay current. Search each one for your own town.
Find a GPThe NHS list of GP surgeries, searchable by postcode.Apply for a National Insurance numberYou need one to be taxed correctly. Apply once you are in the UK.Find an NHS dentistHarder than the GP. Start early and ring around.Check your visa and BRP or eVisaView and prove your immigration status online.Find your local police stationEmergency is 999 or 112. Non-emergency is 101.Understand your tax codeCheck what HMRC thinks you earn, so you are not overtaxed for months.Driving on a foreign licenceHow long you may drive on it, and whether it can be exchanged.Renting: know the rulesYour rights as a tenant, deposit protection and what a landlord may and may not do.Citizens AdviceFree, independent help with anything at all.Public transportNational rail and bus times and tickets.
Near you
91 places in Forest Hall worth knowing in week one
From OpenStreetMap, the map that locals build, plus places our team knows. Every card has a map link. If one has closed or moved, WhatsApp us and it comes down.
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Places of worship
Every faith near you, listed so people can find a community when they arrive. Sama Talent Group is not affiliated with any religion or religious organisation.
Churches
Saint Bernadette
Christian, Roman catholic
Station Road, North Tyneside, NE28 8AE
About 2 km away
Regent Chapel
Christian
Regent Farm Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE3 3HD
About 5 km away
St Cuthbert's Church
Christian, Anglican
Darrell Street, Wideopen, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE13 7DS
About 5 km away
Walker Parish Church
Christian, Anglican
Duncan Street, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE6 3BS
About 6 km away
Saint Luke's Church
Christian, Anglican
Claremont Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE2 4AH
About 6 km away
Kings Castle
Christian
Brinkburn Street South, Newcastle Upon Tyne
About 6 km away
Church of Saint Thomas the Martyr
Christian, Anglican
Saint Mary's Place, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7PF
About 6 km away
City Church
Christian, New frontiers
Melbourne Street, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 2JQ
About 6 km away
Church of St John the Evangelist
Christian, Anglican
Kingston Park Avenue, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE3 2HB
About 7 km away
St John's Methodist Church
Christian, Methodist
Ilfracombe Gardens, North Tyneside, NE26 3ND
About 7 km away
Mosques and prayer rooms
Gosforth Prayer Hall
Muslim
Christon Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE3 1XD
About 4 km away
North Tyneside Bangladeshi Community Association & Mosque
Muslim
6 Esplanade Place, North Tyneside, NE26 2AR
About 8 km away
Gurdwaras
Gurdwara Shaheed Baba Deep Singh Ji
Sikh
Edgefield Avenue, Gosforth, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE3 3AB
About 6 km away
Other places of worship
Iglesia ni Cristo
Iglesia ni Cristo, North Shields
About 7 km away
1A Stormont Street, North Shields, Tyne and Wear, NE29 OEY
Worship services: Thu 7:00pm · Sun 10:00am · Sun 12:00pm (children)
Addresses and worship service times from the Iglesia ni Cristo directory, checked October 2026. Times can change, so check the locale's own page before you go. directory.iglesianicristo.net
Shops from home
Wing Hong Chinese Supermarket
Supermarket
45-51 Stowell Street, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 4YB
About 7 km away
Georgia's Filipino & Oriental Food Supply
Convenience
482 Elswick Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE4 8ED
About 8 km away
Newcastle United Official Store
Fan
Strawberry Place, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 4ST
About 7 km away
Taste the Orient
Supermarket. stocks Chinese goods
64-68 Clayton Street, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 5PF
About 7 km away
Heaton Halal Superstore
Convenience
236 - 238, Chillingham Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE6 5LP
About 4 km away
M A Brothers Asian Supermarket
Supermarket
177 Elswick Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE4 6SR
About 8 km away
Food and takeaways
Taste of India
Indian. restaurant
9 Station Road North, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE12 7AR
Lezzet Turkish Restaurant
Lebanese. restaurant. Hours: Mo-Sa 12:00-22:00; Su 12:00-21:00
Front Street, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE7 7XE
About 2 km away
New New Bengal
Indian. restaurant. Hours: Mo-Su 17:00-23:30
232 High Street, Gosforth, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE3 1HH
About 4 km away
The Bake One
Lebanese. restaurant
215-217 High Street, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE3 1HQ
About 4 km away
Gosforth Palace
Chinese. restaurant. Hours: Mo-Sa 12:00-14:00,17:30-23:00; Tu off; Su 12:00-23:00
6A Salters Road, Gosforth, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE3 1DJ
About 4 km away
Yummy Cottage
Chinese, japanese. takeaway. Hours: Mo-Su 17:00-22:30; Tu off; Fr,Sa 17:00-23:00
72 High Street, Gosforth, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE3 1HB
About 4 km away
Siam Supreme
Thai. restaurant. Hours: Th-Su 15:00-22:00
160 Heaton Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE6 5HP
About 5 km away
Shahe Tandoori Restaurant
Indian. restaurant
30 Wansbeck Road South, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE3 3HQ
About 5 km away
Kato Pan Asian Cuisine
Asian. restaurant. Hours: Mo-Fr 10:30-19:00; Sa-Su 11:00-18:00
20 Saville Row, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 8JE
About 6 km away
Aneesa's Buffet Restaurant
Indian. restaurant. Hours: Mo-Th 16:00-22:00, Fr 16:00-23:00; Sa 12:00-23:00; Su 12:00-22:00
Forster Street, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 2NH
About 7 km away
City Take Away
Pizza, kebab. takeaway. Hours: Su-Th 10:00-04:00;Fr-Sa 10:00-05:00
44 Pilgrim Street, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 6SE
About 7 km away
Purple Peacock
Asian. restaurant. Hours: Su-Th 12:00-22:00, Fr-Sa 12:00-01:00
Pilgrim Street, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 6BL
About 7 km away
Sports and clubs
South Northumberland Cricket Club
Cricket. Sport club
Roseworth Terrace, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE3 1LU
About 4 km away
St. James' Park
Soccer. Stadium
Barrack Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 4ST
About 7 km away
The Northumberland Club
Tennis, squash, badminton, fitness. Sports centre
North Jesmond Avenue, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE2 3JU
About 4 km away
Gateshead Rugby Football Club
Rugby football. Sports centre
Eastwood Gardens, Gateshead, NE9 5UB
About 9 km away
Newcastle City Cricket Club
Cricket. Sports centre
Kingston Park Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE3 2NA
About 5 km away
Soccerworld
Fitness centre
West Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE4 9LG
About 8 km away
Tyneside Badminton Centre
Badminton. Sports centre
Bowness Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE5 2TA
About 9 km away
McCracken Park
Rugby union, squash. Sports centre
McCracken Close, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE3 2DW
About 4 km away
Powerleague 5/7 Aside football League
Sports centre
Ropery Road, Gateshead, NE8 2HP
About 9 km away
Newcastle United Training Centre
Soccer. Sports centre
Corver Way, North Tyneside, NE12 9TZ
About 2 km away
Fishing spots and tackle shops
Tyneside Angling
Tackle shop, and the place to ask where to fish and about permits
Shields Road West, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE6 1JN
About 6 km away
Days out and things to do
The Valley
Sports centre. Hours: Mo-Fr 07:00-22:00; Sa-Su 10:00-20:00
Quality Row, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE6 1LN
About 6 km away
Driving schools
Art Of Motorcycling
Driving school
4 Elm Road, North Tyneside, NE29 8SE
About 5 km away
Community and support groups
Heaton Community Centre
Community centre
Trewhitt Road, Heaton, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE6 5DY
About 4 km away
Joseph Cowan Healthcare Centre
Community centre
8 Wilfred Street, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE6 1JQ
About 6 km away
The Cedarwood Trust
Community centre
43 Avon Avenue, North Tyneside, NE29 7QT
About 6 km away
Tyneside Irish Centre
Community centre
43-49 Gallowgate, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 4SG
About 7 km away
ISKCON Newcastle
Community centre
304 Westgate Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE4 6AR
About 7 km away
The Angelou Centre
Community centre
17 Brighton Grove, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE4 5NS
About 7 km away
Linskill Centre
Community centre
Linskill Terrace, North Tyneside, NE30 2AY
About 8 km away
Whitley Bay Big Local
Community centre
158 Whitley Road, North Tyneside, NE26 2LY
About 8 km away
FAR - Fenham Assocation Of Residents
Community centre
Acanthus Avenue, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE4 9YD
About 8 km away
Lukes Lane Community Centre
Community centre
Marine Drive, South Tyneside, NE31 2BA
About 8 km away
Apna Ghar Minority Ethnic Women's Centre
Community centre
124 Ocean Road, South Tyneside, NE33 2JF
About 9 km away
Barbers and hair specialists
Hot towel and traditional shaves
Best Turkish Barbers
Hairdresser. Hours: Mo-Sa 09:00-18:00; Su 09:00-13:00
Canterbury Way, North Tyneside, NE13 6JJ
About 5 km away
Barbers and salons
Alpha Femme
Hairdresser
1 Henry Street, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE3 1DQ
About 4 km away
Compton's Barber Shop
Hairdresser. Hours: Mo-We 09:00-17:30; Th 09:00-18:00; Fr 08:00-17:30; Sa 08:00-16:00
197 Shields Road, Byker, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE6 1DP
About 5 km away
Rascals Barbershop
Hairdresser. Hours: Tu-We 10:00-19:00; Th 10:00-20:00; Fr 10:00-19:00; Sa 08:00-14:00
Newcastle upon Tyne, NE6 2HL
About 6 km away
Salon M Hair
Hairdresser. Hours: Mo-Sa 09:00-17:30; We 09:00-18:30; Th 10:00-20:00; Su off
14 Shakespeare Street, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 6AQ
About 7 km away
Skullduggeri
Hairdresser. Hours: Mo-Tu 10:00-17:00; We-Fr 10:00-18:00; Th 10:00-20:00; Sa 08:30-16:30; Su off
14-16 Grey Street, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 6AE
About 7 km away
City Crew
Hairdresser. Hours: Tu-Fr 09:00-18:00; Th 09:00-19:00; Sa 09:00-17:00; Su-Mo off
52 Dean Street, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 1PG
About 7 km away
Cinemas and libraries
Star And Shadow Cinema
Cinema
Warwick Street, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE2 1BB
About 5 km away
Philip Robinson Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi
Jesmond Road West, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE2 4HQ
About 6 km away
Monkseaton Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi. Hours: Tu,Fr 09:00-13:00,14:00-17:30; Sa 10:00-13:00
Woodleigh Road, North Tyneside, NE25 8ET
About 6 km away
Tyneside Cinema
Cinema
10 Pilgrim Street, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 6QG
About 6 km away
Lit & Phil
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi. Hours: Mo, We-Th 09:00-19:00; Tu 09:30-20:00; Fr 09:30-17:00; Sa 09:30-13:00
23 Westgate Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 1SE
About 7 km away
North Shields Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi. Hours: Mo-Fr 09:00-17:30; Sa 09:00-13:00
Northumberland Square, North Tyneside, NE30 1QU
About 8 km away
Whitley Bay Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi. Hours: Mo-Fr 09:00-17:30; Sa 09:00-13:00
York Road, North Tyneside, NE26 1AB
About 8 km away
Gateshead Central Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi. Hours: Mo,Th 09:00-19:00; Tu,We,Fr 09:00-17:00; Sa 09:00-13:00; Su off
Prince Consort Road, Gateshead, NE8 4LN
About 8 km away
Jesmond Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi. Hours: Tu,Sa 09:30-16:30; Th 09:30-19:30
St. George's Terrace, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE2 2DL
About 4 km away
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors. We do not make places up: if the map has it wrong, fix it on openstreetmap.org and it comes through at the next refresh.
Saving money
What locals use to spend less
The shops and sites people here use for cheap clothes, second-hand furniture, a car, and the weekly shop. We are not paid to list any of them.
Facebook Marketplace and GumtreeSecond-hand furniture, bikes, tools and cars, often for very little. Meet in public, and never pay before you see it.Freecycle and OlioThings people give away for free, and food from neighbours and shops that would otherwise go in the bin.Too Good To GoSurprise bags of food from cafes, bakeries and supermarkets at the end of the day, at a fraction of the price.PrimarkCheap everyday clothes, work basics and bedding.Aldi and LidlThe cheapest big supermarkets for the weekly shop.B&M and Home BargainsCleaning products, kitchen kit and household bits for less.Charity shopsClothes, coats and furniture, and the money goes to a good cause.MoneySavingExpertFree guides to cheaper phones, energy, bank accounts and sending money.
Getting around
Getting around from Forest Hall
TravelineBus, coach and train times for the whole of Great Britain.National RailTrain times, tickets and railcards.Transport for LondonThe Tube, buses and the Oyster and contactless fares.
Driving here on your licence
Once you live in Great Britain you can drive a car or motorcycle on your full, valid licence for 12 months. After that, a licence from a designated country can be exchanged for a GB licence; from other countries you apply for a provisional licence and pass the theory and practical tests. Lorries, minibuses and buses have stricter rules: check before you drive one.
Check your licence on GOV.UK Exchange a licence
Hiring a car
Each rental company sets its own rules on age, how long you have held your licence and which licences it accepts, and young drivers often pay more. Check those rules before you book, and bring your licence and passport to the desk.
Driving rules taken from the official pages linked above, checked October 2026. They change, so the official page is the one to rely on.
While you are here