In the school year 2024 to 2025, we invited a small group of students to our house for tea and to discuss the possibility of creating a team of ambassadors to promote language learning and interest in different cultures amongst primary school children in Brighton and Hove.  Brighton House exists because of the inspiring students who warmed our home. The first were Aneliz, Antonia, Diana, Elisabetta, Emma, Fidelia, Francesca, Ginevra, Jette, Lia, Lisanne, Matilda and Zuzanna. The January arrivals – Ana, Davi, Eduardo, Francisca, Gislaine, Johanna, Julia, Mikolaj, Sofia and Timon so quickly became part of the community and showed us that we had to continue what we started. We went from tea and cake once a week, to an incredible group of ambassadors, an inseparable group of friends and many happy memories made along the way. We laughed, learned and cried. If that first group had not been so amazing, we would not have continued. A lot of cake was eaten, dresses were sewed, puzzles were puzzled, Eurovision was celebrated, cookies were baked, many badges were made, presentations were practised. confidence was gained and a lovely side of life was lived. That time is still best summarised by the video we made that year.

We had learned how our young people flourish when they have a space to be themselves and most would say they became better people because of what they and we created. We also learned how much they could give back to the community: Primary schools were telling us about the wonderful impact our 16 and 17 year old students were having on their 8 to 13 year old pupils. In a world where much of life is lived online, we had the privilege of seeing what happens when we create real world experiences as a group. We were surprised to see that international students from other schools were asking to join us. It became clear that students from the surrounding areas were travelling to Brighton anyway, and our home was giving them a base. Brighton House was born out of the desire to keep doing the good work!

We will still welcome our young people to our home on some occasions, but we needed a space which could be available to even more students and enable even more opportunities. We found the perfect property and we have gathered a team of great people to host the house. We can’t wait to welcome those first students back to Brighton to see what they played a role in creating.

Greetings from Brighton!

Juliet & Andrew