About us
Your compass for life in the UK: news, jobs, housing, businesses and events in one place.
Last updated:
Draft — requires legal review before publication
What Thames Compass is for
Thames Compass is a portal for everyone living in the United Kingdom and for those who are just moving here. We bring together in one place what you would usually have to look for on several different websites: job and housing ads, marketplace ads, a directory of businesses and services, events and practical guides to life in the UK.
The name refers to two things: the Thames, which flows through London, and a compass, which helps you find your way. London features in our visual identity, but the portal is for the whole of the United Kingdom: from Glasgow and Edinburgh, through Manchester, Birmingham and Leeds, to Cardiff, Belfast and smaller towns.
What you will find on the portal
- News and guides about life in the UK, with details of sources and the date they were checked where they cover health, law, tax or paperwork.
- Job ads with pay shown together with its period (per hour, per month or per year), the required level of English and experience.
- Flats and rooms with the price per week or per month, the deposit shown separately and information about bills. We do not show the exact address without the advertiser’s informed consent.
- Marketplace: buying, selling, services and things given away for free.
- A directory of businesses and services across the UK, from tradespeople to accountants.
- Events across the UK, with times given in UK time.
Our principles
- Reliability. We do not label businesses as “verified” until we have a real verification process. Paid or sponsored content is always labelled “Promoted” or “Sponsored”.
- Privacy. Your email address and phone number are not shown to other users unless you decide otherwise. We pass on messages to advertisers through a form, not through a public address.
- Guides, not advice. Articles about law, tax, health and paperwork are for information only. We point to official sources such as gov.uk and nhs.uk and encourage you to check the current rules before making a decision.
- Safety. Ads can be reported with a single click. We check suspicious job, housing and sales offers once they are reported.
Who is behind the portal
The portal is run by [OPERATOR — FULL NAME OR COMPANY NAME], an individual trading as a sole trader in the United Kingdom under the name Thames Compass, address for service (virtual office): [UK VIRTUAL OFFICE ADDRESS].
The service is run by a small team of Poles living in the United Kingdom. The editorial team prepares guides and news. Moderators review businesses and events before they are published, and listings after they are published, mainly in response to user reports. Some news articles are prepared and published automatically by artificial intelligence without prior review by the editorial team — such articles are labelled; the editorial team reviews all other AI-assisted texts before publication.
Do you have a question, comment or idea? Write to us using the contact form. We describe advertising partnerships on the Advertising page.