A home while abroad
University students who choose to pursue their studies ‘abroad’ in the UK, are looking for more than a qualification. They want to improve their English, broaden their knowledge of the world, and extend themselves through new experiences. Some of this they can do on the university campus, but nothing really beats getting out and meeting the natives in their own environment.
'We had a great time with the two students from China. They made us Chinese stuffed breads, loved going to the pub, out on a hike, and having a ride in the tractor!'
A farming family in Devon
in England. It really helps you to see what it is like to live in England and not feel like a tourist the whole time; to see what the people here are like and how they feel about living here.'
This is where HOST comes in. An application to HOST brings an international student at a UK university an invitation to spend a day, a weekend, or Christmas, with a friendly volunteer host. The student will be a guest in the host's home and treated like a family friend, sharing meals, chatting, joining in, being shown the area and perhaps given a taste of the life of the local community.
For the students, who may be from China, India, the USA, or anywhere in the world, a HOST visit is a unique opportunity to explore the culture of Britain. It is often the highlight of their time here, overturning some of their misunderstandings, and sometimes helping to deal with loneliness and homesickness.
'It is one of the best things I have decided to do on my stay here
Ashley, from the USA
HOST is popular and applications regularly outpace the supply of invitations. There are some 1600 volunteer hosts – single people, couples and families – across the UK, many in rural areas, but more are urgently needed. Hosts offer between one and three invitations a year, and can specify the kind of guest they would like to meet. For them, there is the pleasure of giving a young adult from another part of the world an insight into our way of life, traditions, beliefs; there is also the interest of learning about their guests' countries; and the satisfaction of making a personal contribution to international understanding and goodwill.
For more information about HOST please see
www.hostuk.org or call HOST on 0207 254 3039
Launde Abbey appeals for a £1m miracle
Launde Abbey, one of the remaining Church of England retreat houses, is launching a public appeal in a desperate bid to raise the £1 million it needs for essential renovation work. If the money cannot be raised by the beginning of September 2009 the doors of the Abbey, which welcome around 20,000 people a year, will be forced to close for good, depriving visitors of the chance to benefit from its much needed sanctuary.
The Abbey itself is a beautiful Elizabethan manor house set in the rolling hills of the Leicestershire countryside, and boasts a large Victorian walled garden. It offers anyone and everyone somewhere to come and enjoy one of the rarest of commodities in the modern word - total peace and quiet. It is the ideal place for quiet reflection and soul searching, but its open door policy and residential capabilities mean it must conform to the latest health and safety requirements. Consequently, bare pipes, uneven floors and wheel chair access must all be brought up to standard in order for the Abbey to continue to offer its facilities to the public.
To fulfil legal requirements, the Abbey must carry out interior renovation work to its kitchens, dining room, staircase and bedrooms, and is appealing to parishes and church groups to get involved by organising events to raise cash for the cause.
The appeal has the support of the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Bishop of Leicester
To play a part in saving Launde Abbey, go to
www.savelaundeabbey.co.uk
www.arthurrankcentre.org.uk
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rural ministry roundup
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