Local Link Hospitality Programme

Would you like to meet local people, and be invited to join them in their home for a meal?

Local Link is a scheme where we will arrange for you to be hosted for a meal by a local family. This is a wonderful chance to meet people who are not students, and to learn about family life and customs in England, and also gives you the chance to share your own culture with others.

Who will be your host family?

All the families who are hosts for the local link scheme live in or near Lancaster and are members of various local church communities.  They have registered with us as they are keen to meet young people from other countries, to know more about different cultures, and are committed to giving you a warm welcome during your stay in Lancaster.  

Some hosts are younger couples with no children, some have young children, some are older with grown up children.  Some hosts are single people sharing a house together.  Some hosts  will have pets (animals such as cats or dogs) that may live either in the garden or in the house.

How do you register for Local Link?

Local Link is open to all international students, families and academics. If you would like to sign up for Local Link to meet a local family and to have a meal in a British home, please contact Elspeth Wood for an Local Link Application Form.  Once your form is received Elspeth will then contact you within about 2 weeks with details (name and address) of your Local Link host couple or family.

The family will then contact you directly (via email, telephone or letter) to arrange a date that is convenient for you to visit them in their home for a meal. They will tell you how to get to their house from the university or town, and if it is not within walking distance, can tell you which bus to take. Some of the host families have cars, and so sometimes may arrange to pick you up from your accommodation.