Settling in · Heald Green
Landing in Heald Green? Start here.
The first fortnight in Heald Green, 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
89 places in Heald Green 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.
Nothing nearby matches that yet. Try a shorter word.
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
St Nicholas
Christian, Anglican
408 Kingsway, Manchester, M19 1PL
About 6 km away
The Salvation Army - Stockport Heaton Norris
Christian, Salvation army
Short Street, Stockport, SK4 1SX
About 7 km away
Union Chapel Fallowfield
Christian, Baptist
2b Wellington Road, Manchester, M14 6EQ
About 8 km away
St Mary and the Angels RC Church
Christian, Roman catholic
Elbow Street, Manchester, M19 3PY
About 9 km away
Christ world & clergy ministeries
Christian
823A Stockport Road, Manchester, M19 3PN
About 9 km away
St Peter's Church
Christian, Anglican
Stockport Road, Manchester, M19 3BS
About 9 km away
St. Mark's Church
Christian, Anglican
Barlow Road, Manchester, M19 3HP
About 9 km away
St Mary's Methodist Church
Christian, Methodist
Wilmslow Road, Handforth, Wilmslow, SK9 3LF
About 2 km away
Mosques and prayer rooms
Madina Masjid & Community Centre
Muslim, Sunni
2 Barlow Road, Manchester, M19 3DJ
About 9 km away
Other places of worship
Twelve Tribes of Israel
Rastafarian, Twelve tribes of israel
232 Claremont Road, Manchester, M14 4TS
About 9 km away
Iglesia ni Cristo
Iglesia ni Cristo, Manchester
About 9 km away
101 Edge Lane, Stretford, Manchester, M32 8PU
Worship services: Tue 7:00pm · Sat 8:00am (Tagalog) · Sat 11:00am · Sat 1:00pm (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
Food and takeaways
Red Lantern
Chinese. restaurant. Hours: PH,Tu-Th,Su 16:30-21:30; Fr,Sa 16:30-22:30; Mo off
16 Hawthorn Street
About 5 km away
Nite Nite
Chinese. restaurant. Hours: We,Th,Su,Mo 16:30-22:00; Fr,Sa 16:30-22:30; Tu off
63 Chapel Lane
About 5 km away
Sports and clubs
Rushford Park
Soccer. Sports centre
Slade Lane, Levenshulme, Manchester, M19 2AH
About 9 km away
Cheadle (Kingsway) Sports Club
Cricket, tennis, lacrosse, bowls. Sports centre
225 Kingsway, Stockport, SK8 1LA
About 2 km away
Club Didsbury
Badminton, basketball, cricket, soccer, netball, volleyball, dance, futsal. Sports centre
Princess Road, Manchester, M20 2EA
About 7 km away
Wilmslow Phoenix Sports Club
Soccer, lacrosse, cricket, field hockey. Sports centre
Styal Road, Styal, Wilmslow, SK9 4HP
About 3 km away
Ladybridge Connect
Cricket, soccer, lacrosse, bowls. Sports centre
Meadway Road, Stockport, SK8 5NZ
About 3 km away
Stockport Cricket Club
Cricket, lacrosse, bowls. Sports centre
Beech Road, Stockport, SK3 8HD
About 5 km away
Fishing spots and tackle shops
Days out and things to do
Driving schools
Community and support groups
Cheadle & Gatley Conservative Club
Community centre
24 Stockport Road, Stockport, SK8 2AA
About 3 km away
Birch Community Centre
Community centre
Brighton Grove, Manchester, M14 5JT
About 9 km away
United Services Club (Sale & Ashton)
Community centre
30 Southern Road, Trafford, M33 6HQ
About 9 km away
Gatley Hill Community Centre
Community centre
Church Road, Stockport, SK8 4EY
About 2 km away
Abney Scout and Guide Centre
Community centre
Newland Road, Stockport, SK8 2BE
About 3 km away
Dean Row Village Hall
Community centre
Browns Lane, Dean Row, Wilmslow, SK9 2BR
About 5 km away
Didsbury Neighbourhood Centre
Community centre
Gillbrook Road, Didsbury, Manchester, M20 6WH
About 5 km away
Heaton Mersey Conservative Club
Community centre
444 Didsbury Road, Stockport, SK4 3BS
About 5 km away
Barbers and hair specialists
Hot towel and traditional shaves
Barbers and salons
Flanagans
Hairdresser. Hours: Mo-We 09:00-18:00; Th,Fr 09:00-18:45; Sa 09:00-16:30; Su off
804 Wilmslow Road, Manchester, M20 6UH
About 5 km away
Toni & Guy
Hairdresser. Hours: Mo 08:30-18:30; Tu 09:00-18:30; We 09:00-19:00; Th 09:00-20:00; Fr 08:30-19:00; Sa 08:30-17:00; Su off
737 Wilmslow Road, Manchester, M20 6WF
About 5 km away
Terence-Paul Hairdressing
Hairdresser. Hours: Th 10:00-20:00; Tu,We,Fr 09:00-18:00; Sa 09:00-17:00
705 Wilmslow Road, Manchester, M20 6RE
About 5 km away
Amy-sha
Hairdresser. Hours: Mo-We,Fr,Sa 10:00-20:00; Th 12:00-20:00
677 Wilmslow Road, Manchester, M20 6RA
About 5 km away
Amanda James Hairdressing
Hairdresser. Hours: Tu,We,Fr 09:30-18:00; Th 09:30-18:00; Sa 09:00-17:30; Su,Mo off
17b Barlow Moor Road, Manchester
About 5 km away
Tony's Barbers Shop
Hairdresser. Hours: Th-Sa
913 Stockport Road, Manchester, M19 3PG
About 9 km away
David Anthony Hairdressing
Hairdresser. Hours: Mo-We,Fr 09:00-18:00; Th 09:00-19:00; Sa 09:00-17:00
2C Hawthorn Lane, SK9 1AA
About 5 km away
Cinemas and libraries
Everyman Altrincham
Cinema
74-78 George Street, Trafford, WA14 1RF
About 8 km away
Heald Green Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi
Finney Lane, Stockport, SK8 3JB
Bramhall Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi
Bramhall Lane South, Stockport, SK7 2DU
About 5 km away
Brooklands Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi. Hours: Mo-Tu, Fr-Sa 10:00-13:00, 14:00-17:00; We 10:00-13:00, 14:00-20:00
Moor Road, M23 9BP
About 6 km away
Hazel Grove Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi
Beech Avenue, Stockport, SK7 4QP
About 8 km away
Chorlton Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi
Manchester Road, Manchester, M21 9PH
About 9 km away
Northern Light Cinema Stretford
Cinema
Pinnington Lane, Manchester, M32 9AH
About 10 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 Heald Green
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