A new guide to services in Cumbria has been produced in Polish, Lithuanian and Czech so that migrant workers arriving in the county can understand and access essential services and know what to do in an emergency.
Around 5,000 Welcome to Cumbria Books have been printed and will be distributed through the Cumbria Multicultural Service, libraries, community units and partner organisations of the Cumbria Strategic Partnership. The book is written in the three East European languages as well as English so employers can help distribute the information.
They provide contact details for where migrant workers can get help, advice and support, and also contain information on subjects including:
- Where to get Accommodation
- Dealing with Crime
- Cumbria Fire & Rescue Service/Home Safety Checks
- Home Security
- Safety of Children
- Gas Emergencies
- Electricity Emergencies
- Using a television
- Driving in the UK
- Travel and transport
- National Insurance Numbers
- Workers Registration Scheme
- Working conditions and National Minimum Wage
- Bank accounts
- Money issues and UK currency
- Health
- Education
- Grants and Welfare Benefits
- Post Offices
- Using public telephones
- Use of Libraries
- Places of Worship
- The Children's Information Service
- ESOL classes (English for Speakers of Other Languages)
Cumbria County Council is one of the first local authorities in the country to produce welcome books specifically for migrant workers. The decision to produce them in Polish, Lithuanian and Czech was guided by data on the number of different translation requests made to the council.
Cllr Elizabeth Mallinson, cabinet member responsible for equality, said:
"The information being delivered is an essential guide to living safely and securely in Cumbria. This county is leading the way in being progressive and proactive in handling a situation that is now a part of modern life in Britain. These weclcome books help fulfil the county council's statutory duty to ensure its services can be accessed by all and help build community cohesion."
Joel Rasbash, equality officer at Cumbria County Council, said:
"We are bridging a gap that will allow people arriving in Britain to understand how things work here. Migrant workers from Eastern Europe are a relatively new phenomenon and often don't have established communities to fall back on so they can learn what's what. We've heard reports of Polish people walking up and down the streets in Carlisle trying to find a GP without a clue about how the system works here. It's clearly in eveyone's best interests that migrant workers settling in Cumbria can get a grasp of what to do once they're here."
Notes
The image (jpeg) is the cover of Welcome to Cumbria.
Online versions of the books can be viewed online via the link below. In the future, the website will also have versions in Russian, Portuguese and Cantonese.
ENDS
Media enquiries to Gareth Cosslett, News Manager on 01228 606332
Follow this link to view online versions of the books