This project marks the sixth collaboration between the Association of Biès Farm and Citrus. The association, "A Place for Utopia", is open throughout the year for people in difficulty (single women, disabled people, solidarity camping ...). The colourful and dynamic local team will be happy to share with you their values and their cooking, prepared using the farm's products. Because sign language being is spoken by "Place for Utopia" team, this project is ideal for those who are hearing impaired or deaf.
Work:
This project will focus on the interior of a large room of the 13th century farmhouse. You will remove the sealing from its stone walls, reseal the freshly cleaned wall, and participate in various projects in this building, which will become a venue for concerts, conferences, meetings etc. You will actively participate in cooking meals with the hostess for the rest of the group and members of the association. You will gather vegetables and fruits from the garden, as well as sharing gardening tasks. You will have the support of several volunteers of the association and share your work with the association members and beneficiaries. Working time= full days (9- 16h).
Accomodation & food:
You will stay in a dormitory in the main house on the farm.
Location & leisure:
Location: Mourvilles-Hautes is located 50 km South-East from Toulouse.
Leisure activities:
An exceptional view on the Pyrenées and the nearby sites such as the Black Mountain, the Canal du Midi and St Ironwood Lake make this location a good introduction to the Lauragais region. Time spent with the members of the association will be an integral part of the project. You will also have plenty of time to explore the beautiful surrounding areas, a short distance from the Ariège and the Pyrenées.
You can participate in this workcamp for at least 3 weeks. Priority will be given to volunteers staying for the whole period.
Project:
In the heart of the Hautes Alpes, the association “Les Villages des Jeunes” (www.villagesdesjeunes.org) has been managing, livening up and renovating the reception centre of le Faï since 1990. It is a former agriculture domain situated at an altitude of 1000 meters. The old buildings of the farm have been developed into small apartments and group accommodations. At le Faï, from April to December, the association organises inclusion projects for local people who are faced with social and professional difficulties and host teenagers and young adults experiencing family, health or professional difficulties in order to give them a possibility to get professional experience. In the summer, the Faï is also a place where professional artists and musicians come to work in and with this extraordinary place. Together, they create and perform at the yearly festivals that take place at the Faï. The international workcamps organised at the Faï contribute to make this place something “extra”, where people in different ages, from different countries and cultures, employees and volunteers, artists and tourists, live and work together for some days or several months. We hope that you also, a volunteer from France or abroad, will come in this spirit of encounter and working together which brings our project to life.
Work:
You will work near the activity room we renovated recently. You will build an access ramp at the building entrance for people with reduced mobility. We will expand the space at the back of the activity room in order to make a parking plot for people with reduced mobility. We will flatten the little square in front of the door room. Fully carried out on site, the construction of the ramp will be an opportunity for you to learn woodworking. The expansion and leveling of the ground will involve the construction of a wooden retaining wall or stone.
Leisure activities:
As the Faï is surrounded by an extraordinary nature, it is an ideal place when it comes to discover mountain hiking and the rural villages with their peasant markets and local products. In the evenings you can organise games, film nights, international meals… You can also organise more “touristic” trips to the towns and villages of the region.
Accommodation:
in tents, all facilities available on site.
Location:
The Farm of the Faï (3km from the village of Saix, 30 km from the city of Gap).
In the heart of the Hautes Alpes, the association "Les Villages des Jeunes" has been managing, livening up and renovating the reception centre of Vaunières since 1964. It is an old mountain hamlet, now a ‘springboard' place for youth and adults experiencing family, health or professional difficulties, and who need to take some time to recharge, acquire new skills and reflect on their plans. Vaunières is also a place where families, tourists and people with disabilities come on holiday to enjoy the calm of the mountains and the dynamics of the place. The workcamps that we organise at Vaunières with volunteers from all over the world allow us to strengthen the cultural diversity of our activities and to make this site open to the world, a place where people of all ages and all social and cultural backgrounds agree to meet by working together and sharing collective life. We hope that you also, a volunteer from France or abroad, will come in this spirit of encounter and working together which brings our project to life.
Work:
The hosting centre consists of several buildings, including the "Hôtellerie". During winter this house was restructured with a new apartment for permanent staff and a lodge as the result. This workcamp will give you the opportunity to step in to the part where the walls will be insulated, beginning with the east façade. The work includes placing a natural insulator, after having prepared the walls and constructed a stationary, wooden framework to hold the plaster. This workcamp will let you discover new techniques, such as traditional plastering and the use of ecological materials!
Accomodation & food:
in tents, all facilities available on site
Location & leisure:
Location: Vaunières (7 km from the village of St Julien en Beauchêne, 40 km from the city of Gap)
« I can say that the best things about the workcamp and this whole experience were the chance of making a real difference to the lives of very needy children. This is an extremely valuable project where volunteers can have a massive impact. Also the possibility of learning a huge amount about a country so different from our own. I learnt ten times as much by carrying out a workcamp than I would ever do backpacking. »
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