Overseas students' interests paying dividends for Bradford firm

MANY overseas students return to China and Hong Kong photographed against a traditional red telephone box - still an iconic symbol of British life.

In the case of students cared for by Bradford-based guardianship company Study Links, the backdrop is actually a novelty mirror in the entrance of its Low Moor offices that represents their stay in the UK.

"Many of the young people who visit us here love to be pictured in front of the mirror as it represents a recognisable image of England for their families when they return home, " said Angela Fan, Study Links founder and managing director.

The winner of the 2015 T&A Bradford Means Business Women in Business title, Angela

has seen a voluntary pastime grow into a recognised business in the guardianship sector

with more than 300 overseas students on its books and a turnover of around £700,000 and growing.

Study Links is among half a dozen West Yorkshire companies shortlisted in the 2016 UK Family Business Awards.

The business was launched by Angela and her Chinese-born husband Eric in 1998 after several years of arranging placements and accommodation for children of friends and family in the Far East.

It began on a voluntary basis after the couple returned to the UK after teaching in Hong Kong and were asked to provide guardianship for a niece and nephew who were sent to the UK for education.

"We found boarding schools for them and acted as guardians, They went back to Hong Kong after completing their education and secured good jobs - which is the reason for sending them to the UK where a British education is still highly regarded.

"After that we were asked by more friends and family to do the same and couldn't say no. At one point there were seven children staying with us at home when we had three small children of our own.

"As the requests for help grew it became clear that we would either have to stop or do it as a business, so Study Links was started in 1998," said Angela.

The dining room at home became a daytime office and returned to its original use in the evenings and by 2008 the business moved into its first office. In 2013 it transferred to its current larger base in Carr Road, just a stone's throw from the Fan's own home where the operation began.

Angela's background as a teacher of English in a Hong Kong girls' convent school followed by recruiting and teaching overseas students at Bradford College - as well as her own family's dual culture which saw her first two children born in Hong Kong - meant she was intuitively tuned in to the needs of youngsters coming over here for an education.

Added to that is the mothering instinct of wanting to ensure young people are safe and well cared for.

Study Links core business remains guardianship of young people from primary school age to 18 who attend UK boarding schools. The firm makes all the arrangements, including home stay accommodation out of term time and travel arrangements.

"We look after them from picking them up at the airport and acting as surrogate parents , attending parent evenings, advice and emergency support and keeping in touch with their parents back home.

"Most of the time everything goes smoothly and it's a very rewarding experience and many of the students have kept in touch over the years and we are able to keep up with their progress as they go through life

"Unlike immigrants, our students are sent here by their parents to get a good education and then return home," said Angela.

In the early days of Study Links husband Eric, a former maths teacher and computer programmer at Bradford mail order company Grattan, was very much hands-on but these days takes a more part-time background role.

But the Fan's youngest daughter Ailie is involved full-time as operations director.

She joined the business after completing a degree in Mandarin with Business Studies, including spending a year at university in Nanjing, becoming fluent in the Mandarin language in addition to Cantonese in which all the Fan family, including Angela, speak.

Ailie completed the Goldman Sachs’ 10,000 Small Businesses programme, which helps SMEs and social enterprises develop long-term growth plans.

Ailie said: “Making the choice to attend the programme was one of the best decisions we have made as a small business. It has given us the tools and focus necessary to create a long-term plan.”

Angela said: "Like our daughter-in-law Jenna ,who is on maternity leave, Ailie has helped to put Study Links on a more structured footing by introducing business disciplines. We now also have dedicated marketing and finance expertise and a team of 12 who between them speak eight languages.

" For many years I suppose I muddled through as the business grew. We didn't need to promote ourselves as word of mouth saw demand for guardianship services grow quickly and we became known in education circles for offering reliable services through people with all the necessary clearances for working with young people .

"In addition to our staff, we have a team of freelancers who represent Study Links in various areas of the country providing a direct links with schools, students and home stay providers."

While supervising individual foreign students remains at the heart of Study Links operations, the company is increasingly catering for short-term group visits, by overseas students and parties of teachers attending Leeds Beckett University and the Leeds English Language School.

Each September for the past few years it has handled the visit of 40 or so teachers from Span, placing them in various schools as preparation for future school exchange visits by their own students .

Depending on the package required by parents, Study Links charges between £1,000 and £4,500 a year for its guardianship services. For £150 it will provide an emergency contact-only service.

In 2013 Study Links spearheaded a drive to attract more Chinese students into UK schools by staging a networking event at the British Embassy in Beijing.

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The reception was attended by government officials, business representatives, educational agents, representatives from British schools and former students of UK universities. It provided details about how Chinese students can access British independent schools, find places at top universities and develop successful careers.

Study Links, which has attracted students from countries including Russia, Ukraine, Nigeria and China, the United States, Brazil and Thailand, was hailed for its part in boosting the UK's export drive.

The firm has worked with UK Trade & Industry since 2007 and benefitted from the Gateway to Global Growth programme, which enabled Angela to attend seminars and travel to a trade exhibition in Thailand to generate new business.

Jo McBeath, of UKTI, said: "Study Links' success story demonstrates the diverse range of businesses that UKTI works with. "You don't need to export a tangible 'product' to benefit from our help, but if you are looking to do business or offer a service abroad, UKTI can provide useful advice and assistance, as Angela has discovered."

Angela is now in a position to take an overview of Study Links progress - no longer working regular 16 hour days on the myriad of tasks involved in ensuring its youngsters are well cared for and enjoying their time in the UK.

"I suppose I'm more like a consultant these days with specialist people to do the heavy lifting, which is fantastic, " she said.

Long-term plans for Study Links include a possible recruitment operation for English language teachers overseas.

" Although we continue grow and develop as an organisation, looking after more students and offering them more educational services, we always remain true to the family values we established from the beginning.

"For every individual student under our care, Study Links understands that their experience in the UK is just one chapter in their book. Our role is to help make this chapter a success, and to instil them with the confidence, skills and tools to write the next chapter," said Angela.