Open Cambridge - the University Offices - University of Cambridge
Open Cambridge - the University Offices - University of Cambridge
Open Cambridge - the University Offices - University of Cambridge
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getting practical<br />
Streets ahead<br />
Many new and existing<br />
members <strong>of</strong> staff will<br />
need to find a property<br />
before or during <strong>the</strong>ir<br />
time at <strong>Cambridge</strong>,<br />
and <strong>the</strong> <strong>University</strong> is<br />
dedicated to making it<br />
as hassle free as possible<br />
A mid-August afternoon at <strong>the</strong><br />
<strong>University</strong> Accommodation Service<br />
and staff are coping admirably with a<br />
relentless stream <strong>of</strong> enquiries. No sooner<br />
has one call been answered than ano<strong>the</strong>r<br />
takes its place. The front door is opening<br />
and closing pretty quickly, too, as<br />
students and staff-to-be come along<br />
to hear about potential properties.<br />
Above <strong>the</strong> noise and bustle,<br />
Head <strong>of</strong> Service Nicky Blanning is trying<br />
to explain how she and her team can<br />
help newcomers and staff with a range<br />
<strong>of</strong> services – except <strong>the</strong> phone rings<br />
again, and she is <strong>of</strong>f to advise someone<br />
about primary schools in <strong>Cambridge</strong>.<br />
“August, September and October<br />
are our busiest months,” she explains on<br />
her return. “We are <strong>the</strong> first port <strong>of</strong> call<br />
for people looking for accommodation<br />
in <strong>Cambridge</strong>, and we will help any<br />
member <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>University</strong>.”<br />
“We have a<br />
two-storey<br />
house, with<br />
high hedges<br />
and four or five<br />
fruit trees on<br />
<strong>the</strong> lawn. To be<br />
honest, we’ve<br />
been blessed”<br />
Last year Nicky and her team<br />
helped more than 6,500 people and,<br />
while much <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir work centres around<br />
finding appropriate properties for staff<br />
and students, she is keen to stress that<br />
<strong>the</strong>y can help in o<strong>the</strong>r areas as well.<br />
“We <strong>of</strong>fer a whole relocation package.<br />
We help people find schools for <strong>the</strong>ir<br />
children and places to buy cars. We are<br />
concerned about <strong>the</strong> wider family, and<br />
link up with <strong>the</strong> Newcomers and Visiting<br />
Scholars to help newcomers, partners<br />
and <strong>the</strong>ir children settle in to <strong>University</strong><br />
and city life.”<br />
<strong>Cambridge</strong>, she admits, can be a<br />
difficult place to move to, with a wide<br />
range <strong>of</strong> pr<strong>of</strong>essionals and employers<br />
placing demand on <strong>the</strong> city’s housing<br />
stock. Thankfully, <strong>the</strong> Accommodation<br />
Service, based on Tennis Court Road close<br />
to <strong>the</strong> junction with Lensfield Road,<br />
has a database <strong>of</strong> more than 2,500<br />
6 | september/october 2009 | UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE Newsletter