Friends International Guildford – Welcome!

Welcome to Surrey

Friends International welcomes and supports international students, connecting you to our community!

Welcome all students from outside the UK to Surrey!

Life can be very different moving to a new country and studying abroad. We understand that you are facing new challenges, new languages and a different culture. Finding your place in this new area called Surrey will take time and we are here to help!

Friends International is a local Christian charity, which aims to support you in building friendships with other students, make local links with families and explore life in the UK. We organise events, experiences and social meet ups (online and in-person), to help you learn about and take part in British culture to get the most out of your time here while at university – learn more about us below.

Hello from the staff team

Lilli
Phil

Lilli is our Centre Team Leader. Originally from Germany, she leads the team as well as organises and runs events. She is a Senior Chaplain at the University of Surrey and enjoys meeting students.

Phil is our Staff Worker. He is British but grew up in Papua New Guinea. He runs events and courses, including Life Leadership. Phil is also an International Christian Chaplain at the University of Surrey.

This is our staff team. We all have different roles and backgrounds. Learn more about us in our short “Who Are We” video. 

Meet some of our volunteers

Our volunteers hope to welcome you and help you make the most of your time in the UK. They come from different backgrounds too—some having lived abroad and with amazing stories to share. The videos below give you an example of some of the people you will meet!

Jenny (Host & Volunteer) 

Hugh (Host & Volunteer)

From International Students!

Friends International has been a fantastic experience for me, one I will remember my whole life. I feel part of the big international family!...

- Grace
"I was impressed by the kindness and caring of the volunteers. Since then, my story with Friends International continues and they help me create lots of wonderful memories. The help and support these lovely people provided made me feel at home in an unknown country, and more importantly, taught me to be grateful and to share..."
Camilla(China)
"This group has provided me with a wonderful experience as an international student here. I know this group is a Christianity faith group, but I appreciate its idea of including all regardless of their religion, background, country and ethnicity..."
Jeet
Jeet(India)
"Apart from all the fascinating events, what draws me here again and again is the group of people - the lovely volunteers. They are very friendly, kind, caring and always willing to help. I would definitely spend my time here in Surrey with them.."
Xing(China)
"I got the chance to share not only delicious meals, but also Christmas and trips to other cities around the UK. I was even asked to share part of my culture with a salsa lesson! I am forever grateful for all the time shared and all the willingness I found with personal and academic support during the times I found life in the UK tough..."
Melissa(Costa Rica)
"The atmosphere is so positive and friendly that even when I am stressed, spending time with the new friends I made help me relax a lot. I don’t have enough words to express how much I have enjoyed time with Friends International - they were a big part of my life in the UK.."
Nithya(India)
"After spending a year and a half in Surrey with the support of Friends International, I now feel so loved by strangers and new friends..."
Katherine
Katherine(China)
"I learnt many stories from volunteers and got to know about many parts of the world. Thanks to Friends International for organising such a wonderful program and helping many foreigners like me to get adjusted to the UK and back home as well..."
Hima(India)
"I was a little afraid of meeting new people especially the British because I was not accustomed to the British accent and culture at that time. But the people I met at Friends International were so nice and made me comfortable!..."
Songlim
Songlim(Korea)
"I am very grateful to Friends International for giving me the opportunity to make friends from all over the world and all ages. From them, not only did I harvest precious friendship, but also I learned a lot of knowledge and experience that I could not get from books..."
Martin(China)

So how do you join our community?

We would love for you to join us in person or online as much or as little as you feel comfortable to. Click the icons below to visit our social media. We share lots of content regularly including recordings of talks, information on events, updates and useful resources for you while at university. Our App below is the best place to see when events are on and book to attend. Don’t forget to subscribe to get the latest content! 

Instagram
Facebook
Youtube

Instagram

Facebook

YouTube

Sign up to our useful Email Updates

Our email updates are a great way to learn of new local events we are running or interesting news we would like to share with you. You can unsubscribe at any time and we will only send you useful emails!

Download our FREE International Student App (Events, UK Life, Local Link)

Our App is a useful, quick way to connect with us and know what we are doing both now and for the future so you can plan your time better!

  •  Know when our events happen and book to attend
  • Connect with our “Local Link” programme (hosting with local families – more information below)
  • Learn about life in Surrey and the UK
  • Contact us or arrange to meet our Chaplains for support / questions
  • Be part of our training programmes to develop your life skills whilst at university (Our Life Leadership Course)
Friends International have an app, you can find all our events and extra information about Guildford here

Click below to download

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You might also want to check out the local Churches in the area. We have listed some of the most well known and easiest to get to, providing great opportunities for friendship and to explore the Christian faith. Use our Churches page in the top menu above, or simply click here

Our events in pictures!

Pictures capture the story better than words! Below is a small example of the experiences you can enjoy…