Host Families Needed in Hastings

Sussex Coast College Hastings is looking for local families to help host international students over the summer.

Every year the college welcomes hundreds of international students to the town to study English language courses and get a taste of studying in the UK.

The success of these programmes depends on the excellent care that the college’s network of local host families provide.

“Hastings has a great reputation internationally for attracting overseas students and our international programmes run across the year contributing a six figure sum into the local economy as well as providing a vibrancy to the town.” said International Director, Mark Allen.

Satty Chies, who works at the college, has been welcoming students into her home in Hastings for a number of years.

“We really enjoy hosting international students. It’s really good fun and the students are a welcome addition to the family,” said Satty. “We have students from all over the world staying with us, sometimes for a couple of weeks and on other occasions a few months. But however long they’re here, my husband and I really enjoy getting to know them and learning about their cultures.”

“The students we’ve had have all been extremely polite and respectful of the house rules. They always ask if they can help around the house, and occasionally offer to cook dinner for the family.”

“We have two small children and they get on really well with the students. My son likes to talk about and play football with the boys, and my daughter often has nail painting evenings with the girls, which is great and almost like they have older brothers and sisters to look up to.”

“Of course there is the financial benefit which is nice, but we also really enjoy having the students stay with us because we get to know them and develop a nice bond. By the end of their stay, we’re actually sad to see them go.”

Over the next few months groups of students from Brazil, Italy, China, and Japan will be heading to the UK to join the college, and during this time, the college will be looking for host families to help accommodate them.

The college will be able to pay £125 per student, per week, or £103 per student per week if they are sharing a room, towards the cost of providing half board occupancy.

You will need to be living in the Hastings and St. Leonards area, and the students will be aged 14 and above.

If would like to find out more, or would like to become a host family, please get in touch with the International Department at Sussex Coast College on: 01424 458577 or e-mail.