Blog
Every hosting experience has a story to tell.
Our blog brings together stories from hosts, students, and volunteers whose lives have been enriched through international exchange. From lasting friendships to unforgettable experiences, these stories celebrate the connections that make cultural exchanges so rewarding.
Have you hosted a student or international visitor? Whether you’ve taken part here in the UK or explored another culture overseas, we’d love to hear your story. Share your experiences and help inspire others to discover the lasting impact of welcoming the world into their lives.
A Museum Curator Discovers the Hearth of Malvern
August 5, 2026
When visitors come to the UK, they often arrive with a list of places they want to see — but it is the people they meet and the experiences they share that often become their most treasured memories.
A Weekend of Health and Wellbeing
July 30, 2026
Lilly is a Ghanian student from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. She told us about an invigorating HOST UK Weekend Stay spent with Becci and Nicholas on their family farm in Worcestershire. Enjoying time away from the hustle and bustle of London was the perfect way to reset and unwind before completing her studies.
Two Perspectives, One Homestay Journey
June 17, 2026
Every homestay experience offers two perspectives — that of the host family welcoming a student into their home, and that of the student adapting to a new culture, language, and way of life.
A Friendship That Led All The Way to My Wedding
June 2, 2026
Kenyan student Lilian tells us about the remarkable bond she shares with host Katherine and how a HOST UK Weekend Stay in Hampshire led to a wedding in Kenya.
From Guests to Grandchildren
May 29, 2026
When Lesley and her husband, Ian, first opened their home to international students on New Years Eve 2005, they couldn’t have known how far those connections would reach. Over the next fourteen years, she and Ian welcomed more than a hundred and seventy student visits through their doors. Each brought their own stories, cultures and experiences. One visit would leave a lasting imprint on their lives.
Celebrating Milestones Away From Home
May 28, 2026
For many of our students, important occasions like birthdays happen whilst they are studying far away from their families. That’s why our wonderful host families play such an important role in helping make those moments special.
A Stay to Remember
April 22, 2026
A Host Family Bond That Never Faded
March 31, 2026
Some guests arrive at your door for just a weekend… and end up staying in your heart forever. Inspired by the memories of one of our most beloved hosts, this touching story follows Marie and Eric as a shy young student from Malaysia steps into their home and into their lives. From shared laughter around the table to celebrating milestones across the world, their connection shows the profound impact hosting can have, not just on the students, but on those who open their door.
Hosts That Go the Extra Mile… Literally!
March 30, 2026
When we say our hosts go the extra mile, we don’t just mean in spirit. Recently, David from Southport proved exactly that. He took three School Cultural Exchange students on a six-mile walking adventure through the stunning Lake District, ending in the picturesque village of Grasmere.
A Christmas to Remember
January 29, 2026
Once again, host and student feedback stories highlight the warmth, generosity and cultural learning that made this Christmas and New Year truly memorable for everyone on the 2-3 night HOST UK Festive Stay. If you’re one of the hosts who welcomed an international university student to your home over Christmas or the New Year to share traditions, discover new experiences and build meaningful connections, thank you. Read more to appreciate the amazing impact this short homestay has on all involved.
Flying the Flag
November 27, 2025
Susanna and James joined HOST UK in 2013 and have enjoyed sharing their home at Christmas time with a wide variety of international university students. During that time Susanna has become particularly interested in the language and culture of South Korea. They tell us how hosting has opened their eyes to a whole new culture.
My Italian Sister – Flo’s Story
September 24, 2025
Whilst we love to hear positive stories from our hosts, it was great to meet one of the younger members of a host household recently. Flo was a primary school pupil when her parents started hosting international students with EIL UK. As she packs her bags and heads off to university, she told us about some of the memorable experiences hosting has given her and her family. Flo has also recently enjoyed a trip to Italy to see her friend Gina and taste ‘the best gelato’.
My English Sister – Gina’s Story
September 24, 2025
Gina reflects on the time she spent living with a family in the UK and the enduring friendship she has created with Florence. This bond was strengthened by the recent visit Florence and her friends enjoyed in Gina’s hometown of Avellino.
A Suitcase Full of Pasta
July 31, 2025
Luanne started hosting with EIL UK in 2023. She told us about the joy of welcoming international students into her home and her recent trip to Italy to a very special 18th birthday celebration.
A Volunteers’ Week Success Story
May 29, 2025
We first met Sue at a Volunteers Week event in 2024 and thought it was a good time to catch up with her to discover more about her first year as an EIL volunteer host.
The Impact on Our Lives Has Been a Real Eye-opener
March 25, 2025
Angela from Essex describes how hosting Aisha, a university student from Oman, on a HOST UK weekend in 2015 led to her recent trip through sandstone and limestone mountains, beautiful beaches with tiny coves, little fishing villages and tiny desert homes to visit Aisha’s family farm. Calvin Hewitt, EIL’s Volunteers Manager, interviewed Angela to find out how they have sustained their wonderful friendship that has deepened over the years and bridged a distance of more than 4000 miles.
Citation for Eric Songhurst
January 30, 2025
It is with deep sadness that we learnt recently of the death of our devoted volunteer, Eric Songhurst. To learn more about his outstanding contribution to intercultural learning through homestays, please view the citation delivered by our Chief Executive at our 2024 Annual General Meeting.
The Most Wonderful Christmas Ever
January 27, 2025
In 2024, Peter and Ruth responded to the EIL call for Festive Stay hosts and were joined by two Chinese students studying at the University of Reading. Ruth tells us more about the visit.
A Way of Stopping the Children Arguing at Christmas!
November 27, 2024
Sarah and John in Swansea started hosting over 30 years ago and have always enjoyed welcoming guests over the festive period. Last year they welcomed international students, Annet and Ruth, who told us about the amazing experience they will cherish forever.
A Turkish Delight
November 26, 2024
“We all enjoy hosting our international students, but what a delight it is when they give us an invitation to stay with them.” Katherine, one of our Regional Organisers on the HOST UK Programme tells us about her recent trip to Turkey to visit a student she hosted over 10 years ago.
One Day in Edinburgh
September 25, 2024
Mary and David live in the Portobello area of Edinburgh and started hosting international students for HOST UK in December 2021. Mary tells us about their experiences.
Stepping Stones Into a New Life
September 19, 2024
We have received some wonderful feedback from Josephine, a German student who enjoyed an enriching and life-changing year with a host family in the UK.
A Heartwarming Embrace in a Foreign Land
July 20, 2024
The HOST UK visit with Allan in Aberdeen was first arranged as a Festive Stay in2023 but could not go ahead due to a sudden illness. Fortunately, the host and his guest, Syed from the University of the West of Scotland, managed to agree on an alternative date a few months later.
We Got Hooked
July 20, 2024
Liz and David in Chelmsford have reluctantly stepped back from hosting with HOST UK after reaching an impressive milestone. They told us about their experiences and the impact hosting has had on their lives.
Part of the Family
May 28, 2024
We recently spoke to Jean and Ken in Powys about a wonderful friendship they have enjoyed with a Chinese student who first visited them over ten years ago.
Memories That Last a Lifetime
April 16, 2024
“Memorable, deeply educational, profoundly moving, outstanding and rejuvenating” – these are just a few words that Yelena, a University of Reading student, used to describe her Easter HOST UK stay with Amanda and Mick in Hampshire.
How Hosting Led Jane to a Champagne Cruise in Paris
January 25, 2024
Jane lives in Bromsgrove, Worcestershire and registered as an EIL host in 2020. She heard of the organisation through the language department at the high school where she worked. Her first visitors, a Japanese brother and sister, arrived before the Covid pandemic lockdown. Since then she has welcomed six other guests, usually students. We asked Jane to tell us about the friendship she has enjoyed with Risa from Tokyo…
A Two-year Journey from Italy to Coventry
November 21, 2023
High school student Ludovica was 16 years old when she left her home on a small island in Campania (Italy) to start her six-month School Cultural Exchange programme. The experience of living with a host family in Worcester and studying at Christopher Whitehead Language College changed not just Ludovica herself, but the whole direction of her life, bringing her back to the UK…
Retirement Beckons After 10 Years
Over the ten years they hosted, Sue and Kit lost count of the number of international university students they welcomed to their home in Hertfordshire. They worked out it was probably between 30 and 40. The decision to retire from hosting has reminded them of how much they have enjoyed hosting for HOST UK. They chatted to EIL recently and shared a few highlights. Sue remembers that “one student had never seen a swing before”…
