What happens when I arrive in the UK?

Whichever way you come into the country, it is up to you to find your way to your employment. We will provide you with up-to-date details and directions on how to get there easily. This will usually be by either coach or train. Some useful websites with travel information are www.nationalexpress.com and www.nationalrail.co.uk

Will I be greeted by anyone on arrival?

Yes. Your employer will be expecting you on the farm and, in most cases they will make arrangements to meet you at the nearest train or bus station.
However, if the farmer asks you to arrive between particular hours and you arrive later, your employer may not be able to collect you from the bus station. Most farmers begin work early each day and therefore go to bed early and you should be aware that some farms will not accept participants arrivals outside specified hours. In this situation you will have to wait until the following day before contacting the farm. You must ensure you have enough money to pay for overnight accommodation.

What documents should I bring?

You need to prepare the following documents to bring with you to the UK. Most of these you should already have, as you will have needed them to apply for your placement. If you would like a more detailed list of what to pack please see out checklist which you are welcome to use to ensure you do not forget anything.

Paper Work

• Home Office Work Permit. This is for SAWs participants only. Participants from the European Union will have been allocated a Concordia work card which they need to bring.
• University Certificate. It is important that students have permission from their university for the full work period. This should have the dates that you are working clearly marked on it and be stamped by the university.

Students must bring a copy of their certificate as it will be needed for tax reasons by your employer.
EU students can bring a photocopy of this certificate.

• Medical Certificate. You should have two of these. One of them must be certified by your doctor and the other must be filled in and signed by yourself. It is important that you bring these with you so that your manager is aware of any problems or medication that you are taking.
• At least 2 Passport photos. These will be used by your employer for identification purposes.
• Travel Information. Your agent will give you this or, if you have applied individually, it will be sent to you directly. Please make sure that if you are going to more than one employer, you have two sets of directions. These will be very useful when finding your way to your farm and will detail all the names of local stations and the address.

Do I need to bring any British money with me?

Yes. It is important that you bring a minimum of £100 cash with you. This will pay for travel to your farm and your living expenses until your first pay day, usually one week after you arrive. The money will also cover you in the event that you are not able to start work as early as anticipated.

What shall I do if I am not running on time?

In the employer information that you have been sent there will be contact details and a telephone number for your employer. If you are likely to be late you should advise the farmer of your expected arrival time and date. You employer will appreciate knowing this information and can plan accordingly.

If you have been unavoidably delayed for more than two weeks you should ensure that your Agent notifies Concordia of this as it may be necessary to replace you with another person. If this happens Concordia will look for another placement for you with a later start date. However, alternative employment is not possible without prior knowledge of the expected arrival date and in those circumstances you may have to return home. Similarly, you should not arrive at the farm too early. Accommodation is prepared in readiness for the start date stated and may not be ready. People from a previous work period may still be using the accommodation and there may be no spare beds.

How big is the farm? How many people will there be?

The farms that Concordia work with vary greatly in size and the amount of people they employ. Some farms have a large number of acres whereas others can only accommodate two or three workers at a time. Before you accept a placement with Concordia you need to think very carefully about kind of environment you would like to work in. If you choose a large farm make sure you are happy to work and live with a large number of other people from many different nationalities. There will be a lot of people living in close proximity to each other and it is likely that larger farms will be noisy in the evenings. If you chose to work on a smaller farm you will be living and working with only a small group of employees. These farms will be much quieter during hours outside of work (your agent will be able to advise you further on this).