About us

Your compass for life in the UK: news, jobs, housing and the Polish community in one place.

Last updated: 15 October 2026

Draft — requires legal review before publication

This text is a working draft prepared for the demo version of the site and does not constitute legal advice. Fields marked [in square brackets] (details of the site operator, completed in a single configuration file) must be filled in, and the whole text must be reviewed by a lawyer familiar with UK law before the site is made available to the public.This is an English translation provided for convenience. The Polish version is the one under legal review and prevails if the two versions differ.

What Thames Compass is for

Thames Compass is a portal for Polish people 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, classified ads, a directory of Polish 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.
Classified ads: buying, selling, services and things given away for free.
A directory of businesses and services run by Polish people and for Polish people.
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.

Sample content

In the demo version of the portal, ads, businesses, events and articles are made up and labelled “Sample”. They are not genuine offers, news or businesses, and their contact details (phone numbers, email addresses, websites) are fictitious. Do not contact them or make decisions based on them.

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 editorial and moderation team is made up of [DESCRIPTION OF THE EDITORIAL AND MODERATION TEAM].

Do you have a question, comment or idea? Write to us using the contact form. We describe advertising partnerships on the Advertising page.