International Society

About Us

• Promoting international friendship and cultural diversity since 1966

Our Story

The idea for the International Society arose back in 1966 when Eva Auerbach, a Chaplain at the University of Manchester, felt there was a need for an independent organisation to provide welfare and social support to international students.

Under the direction of Ms Anna Ford the Society was founded. From small beginnings of less than a hundred members we now have around 6,000 members from over 130 countries each year.

Your Home Away From Home

The International Society is a unique one of a kind, independent charity based in Manchester that has been celebrating cultural diversity and promoting global friendship for over 56 years.

We aim to provide international students with a warm and friendly welcome when they arrive in the city and to make their time in the UK a wonderful experience. Our activities including trips, classes, events, activities and volunteering opportunities are open to all.

While the majority of the Society’s members are international and British students studying at the universities and colleges in the city, many are people who have come to live and work in the UK, or members of the community interested in meeting people from all over the world. The Society is family-friendly and people of all ages get involved.