Volunteer for HOST UK over the festive season

HOST UK are looking for volunteers to host international students over the festive period. The charity arranges for international students to visit the homes of families across the UK.

Many people eagerly anticipate the festive season. Unfortunately many international students studying in the UK will already be dreading the prospect of a cold holiday away from home, with family many miles away. 

HOST is a charity which offers international students in the UK the opportunity to spend a short time in a British home to promote cultural exchange and international friendship. Last year, the charity received over one thousand applications from students who hoped to spend part of the festive season in a home, where they could not only learn about how people in the UK celebrate Christmas, but so they could also experience a home-away-from-home at what can be a very lonely time of year. Unfortunately, HOST was only able to offer about half of these students a visit at Christmas or New Year due to a lack of invitations.

If you think you could offer an international student an invitation to your home for a few days, or if you could offer an invitation for one of the weekends surrounding the 25 December, please get in touch with HOST. Visits throughout the year are hugely appreciated by international students, and of great enjoyment to hosts. Whether you’re keen to introduce more diversity and culture into your home, or just offer a warm welcome to a student, please think about offering an occasional invitation.

Get in touch with your local organiser (0207 739 6292).

“Hosting is very rewarding - it is the world coming through your front door and gives a rare opportunity to share cultural differences and to realise that indeed we are basically all the same. It does not matter which culture or place we come from as most of us in the world just desire peace, security, a home, family, food on the table and a chance to reach as individuals our true potential.” HOST UK Volunteer, 2015.

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