HOST OVERSEAS STUDENTS – Wembley
The name ‘Wembley’ is internationally recognised, and for good reason: the stadium has played home to some of the most talented people and celebrated events in the world. Wembley is more than just the venue though – and for students visiting, it’s important that we make clear it’s also the name of the biggest town in the London borough of Brent!
The town of Wembley is about 8 miles north west of Charing Cross and in the HFS geographic definition, includes the neighbourhoods of Alperton, North Wembley, Northwick Park, Preston, Sudbury, Tokyngton and Wembley Park.
Many overseas students may not have thought about Wembley when considering localities to live in London, but there’s lots going on and some excellent transport links, facilities and events in the area that make it a brilliant place to stay in for students visiting the UK.
Why Wembley?
The College of North West London is based in Wembley, but this is not the biggest pull for students: there are several higher and further education institutions nearby (but technically not in Wembley) that make it the ideal location for students to stay in. Combined with fantastic transport links and offering a much more relaxed and residential feel than the centre of London, we are seeing a real increase in demand for new host families offering up their spare rooms as accommodation in Wembley. Of course, the famous outline of the stadium and its notoriety helps!
If you have a spare room in your Wembley home and would like to earn some extra income by hosting international students to stay with you, now is the time to get in touch – HFS London has a growing waiting list of people looking for accommodation in Wembley for the next year and beyond.
What is there to do in Wembley?
Students staying in homestay accommodation will undoubtedly be focused on their studies and/or work placements, but it’s also important for them to interact with the local community around them and to discover and explore the UK while they’re here. It may feel as though Wembley Stadium events overshadow anything else that happens in the area, but there is lots on! We encourage all host families to at least suggest their homestayers that they try and attend some events or activities locally, and ideally, go with them. This is our suggested activity list for homestayer students in Wembley…
Window shop designer wear at The London Designer Outlet Village
Just across from the stadium, the Designer Outlet Village is a great place to pick up end-of-season and sample-sale pieces; but also a great place to grab a coffee and window shop all of the things you’d buy if you won the lottery… and incidentally a lottery ticket makes a great welcome gift to your homestayer!
Discover a traditional Hindu temple
Something most non-Hindu locals haven’t done, but something worth doing, is to take a tour of BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir (or the Neasden Temple, as it’s known). A brilliant example of traditional Hindu design architecture, its free to tour around and the community are friendly and welcoming.
Experience the best of British culture in Wembley Park
Wembley Park plays host to a packed programme of cultural events, markets, cinema screenings and exhibitions year-round. Information can be found online for upcoming events and almost everything is free; so it’s always worth nipping to the park to experience something new!
Become a Host Family in Wembley with HFS
If you’d be interested in generating some extra income and renting out your spare room to international students visiting the UK for work and study placements, get in touch with the HFS London team today. We’re always looking for new host families in Wembley and would be happy to have you onboard! Feeling confident? Fill our application form here and one of the team will be in touch.
