The Host Family Programme

Overview

• Have you ever wanted to meet a British family and see inside their home?
• Would you like to experience a genuine British meal with a friendly family?
• Are you interested in speaking English with native speakers and learning more about life in Bath?

If any of these things interest you or if you are just keen to make more friends while here in Bath, may I recommend to you the host family programme.

What is involved?

In signing up for the host programme we will seek to link you up with a family from a church in Bath who best fits with the information you have given about yourself. Where possible we will try to allocate you to families with similar interests as yourselves or so that you can be with your friends. The host programme is also a good way to meet other international students, so it can be a good experience even if we can't send you to the same family as your friends.

Once you have been allocated to a family, you should receive an email within the next couple of weeks from the family who will arrange a time to meet up or invite you around for food. Some families will prefer to meet first for coffee to get to know you a bit and then, on the next occasion, invite you to their home. The number of times you will be able to meet a particular family during the year depends on the family. We will seek to match you with a family who best meets your hosting needs when it comes to the number of visits.

In most cases you will be invited to the family home for food. The family may also take you for walks or even days out in Bath and elsewhere if they are able. You might also like to treat your host family to some food from your own culture by cooking for them at their home - although there is no expectation that you will have to do this.

How do I sign up?

We only have a limited number of families available on the host programme, so students will be allocated to hosts on a first come first served basis. Whenever the number of students to be hosted exceeds the number of places available with hosts, we do our best to find more families willing to be a part of the programme.

To sign up you will need to submit an online application form, filling in details about yourself that will help us find you the right host. Information such as dietary requirements and whether you are able to visit a house with pets is essential for us to allocate students to the right families. You can submit an online application by clicking here. Please note we currently have no host family places remaining, however we are always looking for more host families, so you can apply to be on the waiting list. Unfortunately we cannot promise a host family if you do so, but we will try our best to find one.

What do people think?

Here are a couple of qoutes from people who have enjoyed the host scheme in previous years:

"Studying in Bath has left many good memories in my life and joining the Host Scheme is one of them.

With little understanding of what a host family was like, I was invited to a Sunday lunch by my host parents. Initially, I thought I would have been very nervous and uncomfortable due to some cultural difference and language barriers, but to my surprise, none of the feeling was with me throughout the visit. All these worries dissolved soon after our first hug and first hello. Friendly but not overly polite, hospitable but not extravagant, my host parents showed me how comfortable you could possibly be when visiting somone you had never seen before. For the first time, I had a proper British meal within a British family environment; for the first time I experienced British hospitality; for the first time, I truly believed that this world has people who are willing to show generously their friendliness and care to people they don't know.

Till now, I still keep contact with my host parents. The joy and happiness they brought me are beyond words. Thank you all, my dearest host family." - Daisy from Taiwan.

 

 

"The time spent with my host family is the one of the most amazing things happened to me in UK. The family was so nice and kind. They invited me and my friends to their beautifull house frequently. We had wonderful BBQ in sunny summer afternoon, and played games with afternoon tea. Sometimes we also take a walk with the two lovely dogs in good weather." - Hui Qian (Lin) 2007

 

 Any Questions?

If you have any questions about the host programme in general or about filling in the form, please click here.