Weekends and Christmas can be very lonely times for Chinese students in UK. They often spend the time alone in their student accommodation when the rest of the country is with family and friends. They can feel isolated from the resident population and retreat into their institutional 'ghettos'. In addition, British residents have very little contact with or understanding of the international students they see on our streets.

HOST UK gives Chinese students the opportunity to spend a weekend with voluntary hosts who invite one or two students into their home. This enables the students to feel welcome and appreciated, experience British culture at first-hand and make friends with people they would not normally meet. This helps create social cohension and contributes to international friendship and peace building in local communities.