Settling in · Whitwick
Landing in Whitwick? Start here.
The first fortnight in Whitwick, 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
47 places in Whitwick 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
Ibstock Baptist Chapel
Christian, Baptist
Chapel Street, North West Leicestershire, LE67 6HF
About 6 km away
James Street Church
Christian, Pentecostal
James Street, North West Leicestershire, LE67 3BX
About 3 km away
St James the Greater
Christian, Anglican
Oaks Road, North West Leicestershire, LE12 9YD
About 4 km away
Christchurch Methodist Church
Christian, Methodist
Field Street, Charnwood, LE12 9AL
About 6 km away
The Holy Rood
Christian, Anglican
Vicarage Lane, North West Leicestershire, LE65 1UZ
About 8 km away
Parish Church of All Saints
Christian, Anglican
Mill Lane, North West Leicestershire, LE12 5DR
About 9 km away
Mosques and prayer rooms
Iglesia ni Cristo
Iglesia ni Cristo, Nottingham
About 23 km away
Leyton Crescent Beeston, Nottingham NG9 1PR
Worship services: Tue 7:00pm · Fri 7:00pm
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
Food and takeaways
Taste of Thai
Thai. restaurant. Hours: Mo-Su 12:00-14:45, 18:00-23:00
84-86 Market Street, North West Leicestershire, LE65 1AP
About 8 km away
Little India
Indian. restaurant
77 Market Street, North West Leicestershire, LE65 1AH
About 8 km away
Cafe Chutney
Indian. restaurant
7 Marlborough Square, North West Leicestershire, LE67 3WD
About 2 km away
The Rickshaw
Indian. restaurant
28 Tamworth Road, North West Leicestershire, LE65 2PR
About 8 km away
Sports and clubs
Ravenstone Football Club
Sports centre
Ravenslea North West Leicestershire, LE67 2AW
About 4 km away
Ellistown Football Club
Soccer. Sports centre
Ellistown Terrace Road, North West Leicestershire, LE67 1EZ
About 6 km away
Ibstock United Junior & Youth Football Club
Soccer. Sports centre
Ashby Road, North West Leicestershire, LE67 6HB
About 6 km away
Donington Park
Motor. Sports centre
Walton Hill, Derby, DE74 2RP
About 10 km away
IBSTOCK UNITED JUNIOR & YOUTH FC
Sports centre
48 Ashby Road, North West Leicestershire, LE67 6HA
About 6 km away
Whitwick and Coalville Leisure Centre
Sports centre
Stephenson Way, North West Leicestershire, LE67 3FE
Hood Park Leisure Centre
Sports centre
North Street, North West Leicestershire, LE65 1HU
About 8 km away
Community and support groups
C.A.N HQ
Community centre
Memorial Square, North West Leicestershire, LE67 3TU
About 2 km away
Agar Nook Community Centre
Community centre
Belgrave Close, North West Leicestershire, LE67 4TN
About 2 km away
The Palace
Community centre
High Street, North West Leicestershire, LE67 6LG
About 6 km away
Packington Memorial Hall
Community centre
High Street, North West Leicestershire, LE65 1WJ
About 8 km away
Hugglescote Community Centre
Community centre
Grange Road, North West Leicestershire, LE67 2BR
About 3 km away
Heather Village Hall
Community centre
Swepstone Road, North West Leicestershire, LE67 2RE
About 7 km away
Long Whatton Community Centre
Community centre
The Green, North West Leicestershire, LE12 5DB
About 9 km away
Thornton Community Centre
Community centre. Hours: Mo-Su 07:00-23:30
Main Street, Hinckley and Bosworth, LE67 1BS
About 9 km away
Barbers and hair specialists
Barbers and salons
Bella & Colleen Hairdressers
Hairdresser
8 Jackson Street, North West Leicestershire, LE67 3LT
About 2 km away
The Mens Room
Hairdresser
Owen Street, North West Leicestershire, LE67 3DD
About 2 km away
Arthur's of Ashby
Hairdresser. Hours: Mo,We 08:00-17:00; Tu,Th 08:00-20:00; Fr 08:00-16:00; Sa 08:00-14:00
Market Street, North West Leicestershire, LE65 1AH
About 8 km away
Classic Cuts of Ashby
Hairdresser. Hours: Mo-We 09:00-17:45; Th,Fr 09:00-18:45; Sa 08:30-16:30
The Green, North West Leicestershire, LE65 1JU
About 8 km away
Cinemas and libraries
Coalville Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi. Hours: Mo 08:00-10:00,10:00-13:00,13:00-19:00; Fr 08:00-13:00,13:00-19:00; Tu-Th 08:00-10:00,10:00-17:00,17:00-19:00; Sa 08:00-13:00,10:00-14:00,14:00-18:00; Su off
High Street, North West Leicestershire, LE67 3EA
About 2 km away
Hathern Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi. Hours: Tu,Th 14:00-18:00; We,Fr 10:00-12:30; Sa 10:00-12:00
Greenhill Rise, Charnwood, LE12 5LG
About 9 km away
Ashby Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi. Hours: Mo,Fr 10:00-13:00; Tu,Th 14:00-17:00; Sa 10:00-14:00
North Street, North West Leicestershire, LE65 1HU
About 8 km away
Markfield Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi
Oakfield Avenue, Hinckley and Bosworth, LE67 9WH
About 8 km away
Pilkington Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi
Elvyn Way, Charnwood, LE11 3UR
About 8 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 Whitwick
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