How would you like the chance to send a parcel with DHL Service Point for FREE? Well, here it is!

We’re giving you the opportunity to win one FREE parcel shipment from the UK to any part of the world*, which you can send from any one of our many DHL Service Points available nationwide at select Ryman, Staples, WHSmith, Safestore and Homebase stores.

Fill in your details here to enter. It’s that simple.

Hurry, the competition ends on 31^st August 2013.

*Subject to Terms and Conditions upon entry. The shipment must be pre-arranged with DHL prior to sending

On 4^th July 1776, the United States declared its independence from Great Britain and the date has remained as a big day of celebration for Americans…

If you have family or friends in the States, more than likely they’ll be celebrating 4th July with backyard BBQs and explosive fireworks. DHL helps families and friends celebrate special events, like Independence Day, regardless of the distance between them.

We make it easy to send gifts to your friends this Independence Day. With over 1,300 Service Points nationwide, we’re sure to be on a high street near you. So, once you’ve found the perfect present, just take it to your local Service Point and we’ll send it on its way!

Why not impress them with some of our favourite 4^th July facts?

• On 4^th July 1776, America declared its independence from Britain. It was the separation of 13 colonies from Great Britain.
• Each year on 4^th July, Americans celebrate that freedom and independence with barbecues, picnics and family gatherings.
• The estimated population on 4^th July 2013 is 316.2 million
• Three of America’s first five presidents died on 4^th July.
• 150 million hotdogs are consumed on 4^th July every year
• 700 million lbs of chicken is purchased in the week leading up to 4^th July
• 190 million lbs of red meat/pork is purchased in the week leading up to 4^th July
• 25 million lbs of fireworks is sold to cities for public celebrations
• 11: number of places in the US with “Independence” in their name

Sources: (CNN, The Herald Tribune, US Census Bureau as of 7.3.2012)

Whilst we can’t deliver sizzling BBQs or explosive fireworks, we can help you join your American buddies in spirit by celebrating Independence Day with a hamper full of American goodies. Click here to find out more about our new competition. But hurry, it closes tomorrow!

Get a massive 10% off your first shipment when you send with DHL Service Point from any Staples store in the UK. Perfect for sending that dirty washing home!

Times are tough for uni students. Fees are on the rise. Rents are on the up. And the price of a pint of beer is through the roof.

But that doesn’t mean it’s time to scrimp, save and live the life of a Dickensian miser. It’s just about being smart with your student loan come September/October time. The good news is there are loads of offers out there to help you get through the next year without resorting to begging or bank robbery.

We’ve got a great one for you right now: a massive 10% off your first shipment when you ship with DHL Service Point from any Staples store in the UK.

It’s a perfect opportunity to have a clear-out, send your washing home, or sell stuff on eBay. But best of all, it’s a good excuse to pop into your local Staples and stock up on supplies for the new uni year.

The world’s largest office products supplier, Staples is your one-stop-shop for all things stationery – as well as offering free parking, late opening hours and a DHL Service Point in every store! Plus, a host of hot deals to help your student loan go that little bit further.

Click here to find your nearest Staples store

This week Felicity West from UK Work Study takes us through some of her top tips for international students coming to study in the UK…

1. Plan your arrival in the UK

So your flight is booked and you know what time you’re due to land.  But have you planned your travel between the airport and your university? Many universities offer help and subsidised or discounted transfer arrangements for their international students.  Contact the International Office at your chosen university for details.

2. Bring local money with you

Make sure you have some British money (pound sterling – £) or a prepaid cash card topped up before you travel.  Bear in mind that most shops in the UK will not accept £50 notes, and buses usually will not accept anything larger than a £5 note.  A good option is to get a MasterCard® prepaid card, which you can top up in any currency from anywhere in the world.

UK Work Study’s Study Pack includes applications and help for getting a MasterCard prepaid card.

3. Pack for all weathers

The weather in the UK changes all the time and it is talked about daily.  A greeting between people often includes a comment about the weather: “It’s a bit nippy today isn’t it!” (It’s cold!), “It’s pouring out there!” (It’s raining really hard!), “Turned out nice again!” (What a surprise, it’s sunny!).

Check this website for common weather expressions to join in the conversation.

4. Go to your university’s freshers’ week

At universities in the UK, a freshers’ week is usually held before teaching officially starts. The week consists of many events specifically for new starters to get to know the university, city and each other.

The main part of freshers’ week is the freshers’ fair, which is held on campus and showcases the university clubs you can join. Joining a club is a great way to make friends.

The NUS (National Union of Students) will also be there.  For just £11 you can get an NUS Extra card which entitles you to 40,000 discounts in 120 countries as well as cheap entry into locally run university events.

5. Get a UK phone number

Make sure you have a UK sim card (and phone number) with you from day one.  It will cost you less to keep in touch with your new friends at university, as well as when calling your friends and family back home to tell them what a great time you’re having!

There are many available to buy in the UK, but The UK Work Study’s Study Pack includes a UK sim card with credit on that is sent to you in your home country BEFORE you come to the UK.

6. Bring an alarm clock

The whole of the UK is on Greenwich Mean Time (GMT).  Don’t rely on your natural body clock or the noise of your flat mates to wake you – bring a small battery powered alarm clock to make sure you are up and ready to go!

7. Register with a UK doctor

Most universities provide an on-campus GP (general practitioner) who can act as your doctor for minor ailments and complaints whilst you are away from home.  Ask your international student officer for advice and information about the services available at your university.

Remember, in a serious medical emergency you can call 999 for an ambulance. This is also the same number if you need to speak to the police or fire brigade.

NHS Direct also have a website with a symptoms checker and other medical information and advice.

8. Get the resources needed for your studies in advance

You will need a supply of pens, paper and folders for your studies.  Most universities have bookshops on campus where you can purchase these.

You may also have been sent a reading list for your first term, or will receive it on your registration.  Order these from the bookshop as soon as possible as many people will be wanting the same books as you and stocks may run out fast!

One piece of equipment you may want to consider is an audio note-taker. It can be hard to make notes and remember everything that was said during a lecture, even if English is your first language!

The UK Work Study’s Study Pack includes a discount voucher for the purchase of a Sonocent Audio Note Taker.

9. Make the most of the language services at your university

If you are reading this and coming to study in the UK for university, you can probably understand English quite well.  But how confident are you at having a conversation in English?  Every former international student we spoke to for this article said they wished they had used their English more from day one.

The university experience is new for everyone, no matter where they come from. Remember, it’s not just the education you are coming to the UK for, it’s for new experiences and culture.  Don’t be afraid to use English, it will only get better the more you speak it and will make you very employable in your future career.

10. Learn how to make a cup of tea

This is the most important tip.  Almost everyone in the UK drinks tea. A lot!  There are many coffee shops on every high street in Britain – there’s probably one on your university campus – but when the British get home they ‘put the kettle on’ (make a cup of tea).

Learn how to make the perfect cuppa here.

Finally, don’t forget to have fun.  Now go and put the kettle on!

Find out more about the work of UK Work Study via their website, email or twitter.

Here are our five essential tips to make sure you’re well organised before you kick off your travels abroad.

So you’re having a great time studying in the UK, learning new cultures and making new friends. But it’s coming to that time where you’re probably be thinking about what to do next.

Many students opt to go travelling after their studies to expand their horizons and to escape from home and work for as long as possible! You may see yourself as a bit of a free spirit but we urge you to make sure you’re well prepared before you travel.

Where in the world?

Firstly, you need to get a good idea of where you’d like to go. Be practical about the cost of transport, accommodation and living.

There are lots of useful companies that can help you figure out where to visit, such as STA Travel and Travelbag. Websites like Hostelworld and HostelBookers can help you book cheap accommodation.

Something else to look into is an International Student Card, which gives you lots of discounts around the world, including at Hostelworld.

Law and border

Many places require you to have a visa before travel into their country. Visas can be easily obtained at many embassies around London. Getting hold of them can take time, so plan ahead. You can find a full list of embassies in the UK and their location here.

You must also make sure that your passport is up to date. In the UK, a British passport must remain valid for at least six months after your scheduled return to the UK. For more info on passport regulations, click here.

Insure and go

Before you travel, make sure you have travel insurance in place in case of any accidents along the way.

A common pitfall is to buy the insurance that is offered through your travel operator. This could mean you’re paying over the odds.

There is a range of policies available, so it’s worth shopping around for the best deal. Websites such as MoneySupermarket, SquareMouth and Martin Lewis’ Money Saving Expert are very useful for this.

Safety first

It’s also advisable to get vaccinations sorted before entering many countries. You can get advice about travel vaccinations from your GP, the practice nurse at your doctors’ surgery or at a travel clinic.

Whether you need any vaccines will depend on the country you’ll be travelling to, whether you have any medical conditions and whether you’re taking any medication. Find more info here.

Money makes the world go round

Another thing to think about is how you will get hold of local currency in different countries.

Never change money at the airport, as they tend to give the worst exchange rates. There are many options available to you and you can save £s by using specialist travel spending cards that give you great exchange rates.

Find loads of useful info on cheap travel money at MSE.

All aboard

Now the essentials are covered you can concentrate on the fun bit – planning your journey.

And remember, DHL Servicepoint is available in many locations around the UK. It’s ideal for sending important documents, including visas and passports, at a reasonable price.

Coming Soon! Keep an eye out for our great competition, where there’s £100 of High Street vouchers up for grabs.

It’s always worth checking that the item you’re sending can be accepted for delivery. The list of items prohibited for shipment within the UK might surprise you…

Sending a present to someone special? Birthday, wedding or Christmas – whatever the occasion, DHL Servicepoint offers convenient and cost-effective delivery options to locations across the world. Perfect for making sure your presents are delivered quickly, with the care and attention you’d expect from the world’s leading logistics company.

But it’s worth remembering there are some things even we can’t deliver. This includes all those things that are prohibited for carriage by national or local laws and regulations. And the list includes a few potential gift items that might surprise you.

Here’s a quick rundown of some of the things we unfortunately can’t accept for shipment within the UK:

• Jewellery (or anything made from precious metals and stones) worth more than £1000 (per waybill)
• Watches with a value in excess of £1000 (per waybill)
• More than one electronics item (e.g. X-Box, MP3 Player, iPad) in a single package
• Designer clothing worth more than £1000 (per waybill)
• Costume jewellery worth more than £250 per item
• Antiques or works of art worth more than €50,000

For our full list of prohibited items, click here

If you have any queries about your shipment, drop our customer services team a line on: 0844 248 0844.

For more information on DHL Servicepoint visit: https://dhlservicepoint.co.uk/

After lots of deliberation and a few, lets say ‘heated’, debates, the winners of a competition to produce artwork for our East Midlands Airport (EMA) hub have finally been announced!

Congratulations to our six Primary School competition winners: Eleanor Harper, Molly Daykin, and Lewis Morgan from Orchard Primary School, and Lois Abiodun, Laurie Field and Owen Dunmore from Kegworth Primary School. Illustrators Ros Goodall and Will Haywood were also announced as winners from Loughborough University.

For the competition, we asked students from the two primary schools and Loughborough University to create stunning pieces of art to liven up the hub interior.

There was only one catch: students had to try and capture the worldwide scope of what DHL does in their work. Not an easy task, but as you can probably tell from the image above, one that the students approached with real gusto and imagination. With over 170 local children and students entering, competition was fierce, but winners have been justly rewarded with a selection of prizes and the chance to have their masterpieces permanently displayed at the EMA hub.

“This competition has given students from Loughborough an excellent opportunity to develop their CVs. Being able to say that a global company such as DHL has commissioned your work is certainly a great head start for our illustrators,” explained Loughborough University’s own Illustration and Animation Lecturer, Andrew Selby, who helped judge the competition and ran art workshops for the children.

Headteachers from each school expressed delight at being involved in the project. “Our children really enjoyed the workshop. Knowing that their art will be hanging in one of the area’s biggest businesses has given them a sense of real pride,” said Anne Sherwood, Head at Orchard Primary School. It was a sentiment echoed by Louise Norton, Head at Kegworth Primary, who added: “The children were delighted to think of exciting and different ways in which packages could be transported to such a huge variety of places.”

The final images are on permanent display at DHL’s EMA hub. To see more examples of the entrants work, check out our Flickr page.

Have you ever fancied closing your eyes, sticking a pin in a map and taking yourself there on an adventure?  Of course, haven’t we all…

However, in the real world unless you are enjoying the proverbial ‘gap year’ (as no doubt many of this summer’s recently qualified students will do) it’s back to the workplace.  And with the growing trend for online businesses, many of you will be budding entrepreneurs running a start-up company using eBay or perhaps a larger SME exporting around the world.

For those businesses still using traditional postal services which often prove frustrating and painfully slow, why not give DHL Servicepoint a try.

DHL Servicepoint is designed to be simple, effective and most importantly quick.  Just pick your nearest DHL Servicepoint, pack the parcel when you get there and pay.

Our destinations include 220 countries worldwide with UK deliveries starting at £5.95 and the USA and Canada at £25.95.  All parcels are guaranteed, tracked at every stage and signed for on receipt.

But don’t take our word for it.  Here’s what a recent DHL Servicepoint customer had to say:

“Accurate tracking system.  My parcel was received the next working day.  All items we’re intact.  Very reliable.  I will use the service again, absolutely brilliant!”