Chester-based business helping thousands of international students and young people feel welcome
An international education company based at the University of Chester is celebrating another successful year, as thousands of international students have enjoyed a ‘home away from home’.
Linguastay, based at the University’s Riverside Innovation Centre, works with international schools and education partners to give young people the opportunity to experience life in the UK, combining English language learning with cultural experiences, activities and, importantly, living with a local host family.
It has seen around 10,000 international students staying with host families through its programmes across the year. This included 250 young people taking part in Linguastay’s English Friends Summer Programme in Chester, as students travelled from Oman, Czechia, Ukraine, Japan, Italy, Spain, China, France and Germany created a genuinely international environment in the city.
English Friends brings local young people aged 11-17 together with visiting international students for lessons, activities and social experiences. It gives visiting students the opportunity to communicate naturally with young people their own age, while local participants get the chance to make friends with young people from around the world without leaving Chester.
Mat Farnham-Burrows, General Manager at Linguastay, said: “We talk a lot about giving our students a ‘home away from home’, and our host families are at the heart of making that happen.
“Welcoming around 10,000 students into host families across the year is something we’re incredibly proud of, but this summer was particularly special. Having 250 young people from nine different countries together in Chester created an amazing atmosphere. Through English Friends, we were also able to bring local young people into that experience, so it wasn’t simply international students visiting Chester – there were genuine friendships and connections being made.
“For us, learning English shouldn’t just happen in a classroom. We want students talking to people, exploring the city, taking part in challenges and having experiences where they naturally need to communicate in English.
“The University of Chester and the Riverside Innovation Centre have been a really important part of our summer programme, giving us a fantastic base in the city from which to bring all of that together.”
Trace Street, Head of Commercial Services at the University of Chester, said: “We are delighted to have Linguastay as one of our commercial occupants at the Riverside Innovation Centre. In addition to their office accommodation, they make extensive use of our meeting room facilities to deliver their successful summer programme.
“It has been a pleasure to support their growth and development over recent years, and their continued presence highlights the value of the flexible, professional spaces available within the centre. We are excited to continue supporting Linguastay as they grow and expand, and we look forward to working with them again as they prepare for their 2027 summer programme.”
Following the success of summer 2026, Linguastay is already preparing for 2027 and expects to welcome thousands more international young people to Chester and its host family network.
For more information, visit: www.linguastay.uk.