Our Lives Newsletter - Issue 1 November 2025

Digital Skills and IT Support

The Digital Skills for Life project offers sessions across North Lanarkshire to help residents improve digital confidence, stay safe online, and learn about emerging tech like AI. Current outreach includes work with Lanarkshire Mosque’s Pearls Group. 

Five laptops were donated to the North Lanarkshire Muslim Women’s Alliance to support their ongoing efforts to enhance digital inclusion and develop vital digital skills.

All of our community hubs provide public wi-fi and assisted self-service. 

NLC Libraries offer public access computers and staff use Google Translate to assist customers. 

Employment Skills and Training

Routes to Work helps assess overseas qualifications and signposts retraining options. Visit the Routes to Work website for more information, or contact direct by email startyourjourney@routestowork.co.uk or telephone 0800 783 4731. 

NLC Employability Team reports BME registrations have more than doubled since 2019, with funded work placements for low-income parents.

CLD Adult Learning & Resettlement Team delivered ESOL and employability courses, leading to employment in childcare and qualifications for some. For more information, please email: cld@northlan.gov.uk

Other support includes:

• North Lanarkshire’s Working - For more information visit their website, telephone 0800 0730 226, or email northlanarkshiresworking@northlan.gov.uk.
• Working for Families - For more information visit their website, telephone 0800 0730 226, or email workingforfamilies@northlan.gov.uk
• New College Lanarkshire – visit their website, telephone 0300 555 8080 or email edi@nclan.ac.uk
• Scottish Asian Business Chamber – contact them directly through their website.

You can search for volunteering opportunities with VolunteerNL online, or to get in touch with the team email volunteernl@northlan.gov.uk

You can also find out more about volunteering opportunities with Voluntary Action North Lanarkshire (VANL). Visit their website or contact them directly by telephone 01236 748011 or email info@VANL.co.uk

Language Support and Skills

Free ESOL classes and online sessions are available across North Lanarkshire, plus six Chat Cafés for informal English practice. For more information, email: cld@northlan.gov.uk

North Lanarkshire Council, NHS Lanarkshire and other public partners help with interpretation and translation so you can access their services if English is not your first language

The council website offers translation tools, and browsers like Chrome and Edge have built-in translation features.

Cultural Awareness and Celebration

The NLC Resettlement Team organises cultural events (Eid, Nowruz, Chinese New Year) and educational trips.

Lanarkshire New Scots Integration Network brings together different agencies to support refugees and displaced people. For further information on the Lanarkshire New Scots Integration Network, please contact Hazar Khalil hazar.khalil@scottishrefugeecouncil.org.uk

Black History Month events at Summerlee Museum featured talks on decolonizing collections and previewed new exhibits celebrating Black and Asian cultures.

North Lanarkshire Cultural Committee promotes cultural awareness and cohesion, recently hosting a Black History Month celebration. To find out more about the committee email equality@northlan.gov.uk

NLC Youth work includes Connect Youth Groups for young people new to the area. 

Culturally Competent Services

NHS Lanarkshire use a Spiritual Care Assessment Tool to meet people’s needs and published an Anti-Racism Plan.

NLC Community Partnership Team provides access to free sanitary products in a number of venues across the Council area including Lanarkshire Mosque 

To find out more about the services provided by the team visit your community - working with communities or contact them by email CommunityMatters@northlan.gov.uk

Lanarkshire Carers Centre has a dedicated phone line to support carers who speak Urdu, Punjabi or Hindi: 07780926595.

Visit their website for more information, contact by email info@lanarkshirecarers.org.uk or telephone 01698 428090.

North Lanarkshire Carers Together ensure that every carer, regardless of their background or circumstances, receives the understanding, respect, and support they deserve. Please visit their website for more information, or contact them by email enquiries@carerstogether.org, or telephone 01698 404055.

Aura works with adults affected by domestic abuse, and can provide emotional and practical support to individuals at a time and place that meets their needs.

Their website has more information or contact them by telephone 01698 757667 or email aura@sacro.org.uk

Amina Muslim Women’s Resource Centre empowers and supports Muslim and Minority Ethnic women by serving as a vital link between them and the barriers they face every day.

Visit their website to find out more. You can contact them by telephone: 0141 212 8420 (Monday - Friday 9:30am-5pm) or call the Helpline 0808 801 0301 (Monday-Friday 10am-4pm). Or contact by email: info@mwrc.org.uk

Safety and Security

Police Scotland provides guidance on reporting hate crimes on their website.

Report hate crime whether you are the victim or a witness (friend, neighbour, family member, support worker, passer-by). 

If you’re unsure whether an incident is a crime, trust your instincts: if it feels wrong, report it.

The Ethnic Minority Law Centre is a charity which provides access to free legal services and justice for our BME communities. You can visit their website, or contact by telephone 0141 204 2888 or email admin@emlc.org.uk

North Lanarkshire Community Safety Strategy 2025–30 focuses on crime prevention, gender-based violence, and resilience. You can find the Community Safety Strategy on the council website. 

Scottish Fire and Rescue Service Fire safety resources are available in translated formats. Visit their website for more information.