HOST FAMILY PROFILES
KATHY & STEPHEN
ALDBOURNE, WILTSHIRE
Kathy and Stephen, the principals of GBG, have been hosting international students since 2002. They have three adult children who studied at Radley, Downe House and Sherborne Girls before going to University in Bristol and Oxford. Their son Olly is a qualified corporate lawyer and their two daughters, are both professional photographers.
They live in a beautiful 5-bedroom farmhouse surrounded by glorious countryside, 90 minutes from central London. The house is twenty minutes from Marlborough and ideally located for taking day trips to London, Oxford, Bristol, Bath, Salisbury and Portsmouth.
NICOLA
KENT
Nicola has been hosting students for Great British Guardians since 2017, during which time she has nurtured and cared for four of our students, all of whom think of the house as their second home.
She and her husband live in a magnificent 8 bedroom property, surrounded by the most glorious gardens, a wildflower meadow and their own bluebell wood. They also have a large kitchen garden where they grow their own vegetables, as well as an indoor swimming pool and tennis court.
BELLA
HAMPSHIRE
Bella is a loving and caring mother who volunteered to become a host parent as she genuinely wants to help international children feel happy and valued. She has been working with GBG for over two years, during which time she has become a close friend and mentor to the children she has hosted.
When not hosting children, Bella is a volunteer worker for a charity that is dedicated to supporting young people by helping to increase their self-confidence and making them think about their future role in society.
SALLY
BURWASH, EAST SUSSEX
Sally and her husband live in a beautiful three bedroom house with a large garden in East Sussex. The house also has a study, two sitting rooms and an open plan kitchen.
Sally works at a leading girl’s boarding school.
They have two adult children, Rory and Freya, who went to Eastbourne College and Benenden School but who now live away from home. One child is a teacher at Eton College and the other works in the City of London.
NIKI
SURREY
Niki and her husband live in a beautiful 5 bedroom house, with a 2 acre garden, sandwiched between two lovely British villages. The house dates back to the 1920s and has a mixture of classical and contemporary rooms.
Both of them are recently retired, but they used to work in IT and property. They have been hosting students for Great British Guardians since the very beginning, and our students all rave about their house being the perfect place for work and play: they have a study and library, as well as a large games room with a ping-pong table and gym equipment.
JOE & MARK
BASINGSTOKE, HAMPSHIRE
Joe and her husband are wonderful parents and incredible hosts. Joe is a part time University lecturer and private tutor and he is an inventor and entrepreneur.
They have four high achieving children, who between them attended Pilgrims School, Downe House, St Swithuns, Bryanston, Eton, Wellington College and Oxford University. They therefore have an encyclopaedic knowledge of English Public Schools and how to make the most of the incredible opportunities afforded by them.
LOUISE
WARWICKSHIRE
Louise and her husband live in a classic 7-bedroom English country farmhouse 15 miles from the historic City of Warwick, with its famous medieval castle, and 20 minutes from Stratford-on-Avon, the birthplace of William Shakespeare.
He was educated at Harrow as were both of their children, despite Radley College having been founded by one of their close ancestors.
JANE
BLANDFORD, DORSET
Jane and her husband live in a beautiful 5-bedroom English Country house, which is surrounded by farmland and has stunning views across a valley. It has a swimming pool, big garden, stables, TV room, sitting room and dining room.
Jane is a full-time artist who has her own studio in the house. They have two teenage daughters who are at Bryanston School.
MEL
LINCOLNSHIRE
Mel and her husband live in a large contemporary house, which is a 10 minute walk from the picturesque town of Stamford. The house has 5 bedrooms plus a separate self-contained annex with a further bedroom and bathroom. They also have their own cinema.
They have been hosting international students for some years and can host up to three students at a time. Mel is a fantastic cook and all our students mention how wonderful her food is.
REBECCA
WILTSHIRE
Rebecca and her husband live in a pretty five-bedroom red brick Georgian House, surrounded by glorious countryside and woodlands, where they keep sheep and hens.
Rebecca trained as a teacher and was a housemistress at leading independent girl’s school, where she taught Art for 17 years. Her husband teaches English, Latin and French at a Catholic School in Wiltshire.
