Skara

Housing

Skara has all types of housing: rented and tenant-owned flats, and single-family houses. There are several residential areas with flats for rent which are owned by Centrumbostäder, a municipal housing company. A list of all landlords in the municipality is available on the municipality's website.

Language groups in the locality

Skara municipality has a long history of immigration by people with different experiences and new knowledge. When new people become assimilated in the local community is when development happens! Today there are people from Southeast Asia, Somalia, Congo, Syria and Afghanistan here. Many Skara inhabitants also speak other languages besides Swedish and English.

Associations and organisations

The municipality is home to a large number of associations with different specialisations - around 150 of them. Civic life is where you meet people and make contacts! For example, sports clubs, culture associations, churches and various societies. You can search the association register on the municipality's website to find one that fits with your interests. Skara also has a large Eritrean congregation that hopes to be able to build its own church. There are also several Eritrean associations, and the Balkan association.

What is available in the immediate area

Skara has a very good selection of supermarkets, and in the centre are also a pharmacy, a bank, shops, a cinema, cafés and restaurants. There are three charity shops that sell second-hand clothes, furniture and household utensils, among other things.

Skara has a social welfare office and a refugee reception centre for families and unaccompanied children and young people. In the centre are also Arbetsförmedlingen, two medical care centres and public dental health services. The Tax Agency and Försäkringskassan have offices in Lidköping and Skövde, 20 km from Skara. There are regular buses there from the station.

In Stifts och Landsbiblioteket, Skara's library, you can find books and other material that can be of help to newcomers in Sweden. If you want to learn Swedish you can borrow dictionaries, language courses and easy-to-read books. Should the material not be available in your language, we'll be happy to order it. You are always welcome to ask the library staff if you need any help. The book "About Sweden" is a civic orientation intended for newcomers who want to learn more about Sweden and Sedish society. The aim is to make it easier for newcomers to get into the jobs market and social life. The material is available in downloadable files in several languages.

The librarian, Barakat Aldammad, introduces new visitors to the library and gives them tips and advice. He speaks Arabic and is knowledgeable about culture, making him a valuable asset in support to new arrivals. "Fika på svenska" ("Have coffee in Swedish") is a social project directed at new arrivals to Sweden. It provides opportunities for meeting Skara residents and practicing Swedish.

Not far from the library is Västergötland's Museum. Ten minutes from the centre is the Vilan district, with public baths, an ice hockey rink, running tracks, tennis courts and much more.

Childcare

In Skara municipality you can choose between municipal preschool activities in the form of preschool, educational care (family day nursery) or independent preschools, and school child care (day recreation centre). Children with physical and mental functional impairments are also integrated into the various forms of preschool activities. More information about child care in Skara municipality is on the municipality's website.

Compulsory schools and upper secondary schools

Skara has a long history as a city of schools. There are several compulsory schools that amply meet the inhabitants' needs. The upper secondary school is Sweden's oldest, with high teaching standards, a wide selection of options, and many fine traditions. The municipality's website has more information about compulsory schools and about options for upper secondary school.

Education opportunities

The municipality offers various types of adult education and Swedish for immigrants (Sfi). Read more about the available options on the municipality's website.

Skara is home to Biologiska Yrkeshögskolan, BYS (Vocational College of Biology), with programmes in agriculture, animal husbandry, farriery, hippology and horticulture.

Health and medical care

Skara has several medical care centres, maternity care, child health care and several dentists. In the neigbouring town of Skövde, the Red Cross has a centre specialised in the care of victims of war and torture.

Interpreter assistance

In all contacts with public authorities, the municipality and medical care services you are entitled to an interpreter if you don't speak or understand Swedish. A municipal interpreting agency located in Mariestad is usually consulted.

Public transport

Internal and external communications are good, with intercity traffic and county buses. You can easily get to Gothenburg or Stockholm via the neighbouring towns of Lidköping, Skövde or Falköping. Check out Västtrafik's website for connections and timetables.

Work and entrepreneurship

There are a number of bigger and smaller employers in the municipality or within commuting distance. If you want to start your own business, the municipality's website has useful information.

There are plenty of opportunities for starting and running businesses in the municipality. Many of the small businesses are owned by people who have immigrated to Sweden. You can get good advice and help for starting a business from Arbetsförmedlingen, Nyföretagarcentrum, Almi or Coompanion. The major employers in Skara are Jula, IAC, Scan, EA Åkeri, Svenska Lantägg and Skara Sommarland.

Companies can germinate and grow here. Just like a thousand years ago. And for another thousand. Because where people are happy, business thrives.