project

Created in 1993, the association Le Créneau is the delegation of Solidarités Jeunesses in the Auvergne/Rhône-Alpes region.

- To have a meeting and hosting structure where the dominant theme is intercultural exchanges through group life.
- To help activate and develop the region by working in cooperation with the local government and education centres (recreation centres, clubs, schools, etc).
- To support projects sponsored both by our association and the community through the organization of international voluntary workcamps.
- To help people with social and professional difficulties get back on track.

Le Créneau keeps its doors open to everyone. in doing this we hope to enable all types of people to meet and live together, learning from each other in spite of linguistic, social, and economical barriers. We feel that this kind of exchanges are crucial in fighting prejudice. Le Créneau encourages active and responsible citizenship through promoting values such as Solidarity, Justice, Respect and Peace.

The project is based out at Château des Prureaux, in the village of Montcombroux-les-Mines in the centre of France. The nearest towns are those of Vichy (45 km, pop. 26,000), Moulins (50 km, pop. 22,000) and Roanne (60 km, pop. 40,000). Clermont-Ferrand is the nearest city (90 km, pop. 250,000). The Château is surrounded by fields and forests, and itself rests on a piece of hedged farmland.
Montcombroux-les-Mines is a small village with around 400 inhabitants, and both the name of the town and the architecture reflect its mining past. The region is rich in natural and architectural beauty, but marked by an ageing population. With little to no industry, the locals here rely on Eco Tourism, the sale of handicraft goods and quality farming dominated by cow breeding. There is little public transportation, and the closest train stations are St. Germain-des-Fossés (35 km) and Digoin (25 km). The Château itself is located in a very isolated spot, 6 km from the nearest services. However, the presence of the permanent team and the groups that we host regularly make up for the relative isolation.

Château des Prureaux is a bourgeois mansion that was built in the 19th century over the foundations of an old farm. In addition to the main building there is a small forest, a farm yard, a vegetable garden, and several smaller buildings that make up a courtyard. Since 1993 the association has been devoted to the restoration, maintenance and revival of the area by promoting the artisan traditions of the region (basketry, bread making, etc.) and other local actions and organizing international workcamps that host volunteers from all origins.

There are some rules that the members of the association, the volunteers, and all hosted groups are asked to live by, namely the schedule, the sharing of daily responsibilities (cooking, cleaning, etc.), ecological awareness, and the fight against all forms of waste.

The association is made up of two permanent staff members, around 15 active members, a number of individual and collective partners, and the French and foreign volunteers who visit the centre regularly. In addition to this, Le Créneau is a member of several local associations, and as a result volunteers have the opportunity to participate in many local events such as La Zoreille Festival with the General Council, the Associations Forum, Environmental Days, and the like. The volunteers are also encouraged to participate in international workcamps that are organized each year, either as participants or as leaders. This is an excellent way for them to meet local youth, and for the youth to gain a knowledge of the possibilities that await them at Le Créneau.

1) The main part of the work consists in restoring the buildings and keeping them in a good state, as well as laying out the gardens, farmyard, etc.

2) Throughout the year groups of people will join us at the Château, many of them with social difficulties. Volunteers will help in planning activities, workshops, etc. according to their personal interests.

3) Other opportunities may include organizing workshops in the schools, participating in and/or leading an international summer workcamps, gardening, and promoting the association through local events.

4) Individual project -
We strongly believe that is important for the volunteer to implement, during his/her voluntary service, one or several personal ideas in accordance with the values and the project of the association. We think volunteering should also be an opportunity to reflect, to experiment and to take initiatives. Time is set aside each week in order to allow the volunteers to dedicate themselves to their personal projects.

Volunteers will participate in the group life, together with the staff, the official members and the guests.
His/her accommodation will be in a shared house close to the mansion, and he/she will contribute...

- to the general renovation - masonry, painting, maintenance;
- to the daily tasks - cooking, cleaning, shopping, bread making;
- to the general organisation - weekly meeting, hosting and transportation of the guests;
- to the activities implemented - video projections, debates, games, happenings, trainings.

Volunteers will work an average of 30 hours per week and will take their free time in accordance with their tutor and the needs of the association. We do not have any specific criteria of selection. We want to offer an opportunity to share this experience with all kinds of people, regardless of their age, social origin, level of French language, or their skills.

- participate in the whole project, which will at times include evenings and weekends;
- have the willingness to join other people, share impressions and ideas and to live a sometimes hard but very rich collective experience for several months;
- note that Le Créneau is situated in a very remote place, in the middle of the countryside, without any public transport.

It is not possible to start the volunteering period during the month of May 2010.

100 EUR of pocket money per month is given to volunteers staying for at least 3 months.