This campaign has now closed
Thousands of Middle East students are studying in UK. Very few of them have the opportunity to meet ordinary British people. This project enables Middle East students to spend a weekend in the warmth of a (volunteer) British home.
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Beneficiaries
Situation
Being an international student at a British university can be a very lonely experience. They often spend the time alone in their student accommodation when the rest of the country is with family and friends. Middle East students can be particularly isolated because they come from politically sensitive parts of the world. HOST UK gives students the opportunity to spend a weekend with hosts who volunteer to invite one or two students into their home. This gives the students the opportunity to practise their English, experience British culture at first-hand and make friends with people they would not normally meet. The British hosts also benefit by learning first-hand about the students’ countries and meeting interesting and intelligent young people. HOST UK is able to offer this opportunity to dozens of Middle East students each year. Feedback is overwhelmingly positive and suggests these visits have changed attitudes and improved their academic results. ‘The visit was perfect and my hosts were really friendly. It is the best way to meet a New World, which includes a new culture and a lot of fun’ (comment from Turkish student). Students return to their countries with positive feelings about their time in UK. We receive small grants from government agencies and universities but need to raise top-up funds to continue our work. The administrative cost of a visit is £105 and we need to raise almost 70% through our own efforts. A gift of £5000 would allow around 70 Middle East students to have a happy, memorable and life-changing experience in UK.