FOYER LES MÉRIS –Life back to a garden
France
Manual work
People with disabilities
Manual work
People with disabilities
Fixed dates
About the project
FOYER LES MÉRIS –Life back to a garden
📝 Detailed information
🏢 About the local organisation
The aim of this work camp is to transform a soulless park into a pleasant area in which to relax!
Located at the heart of the town of Aubusson, "Le Méris" social center aims to involve its physically disabled adult residents in social activities. This will be the first time a group of international volunteers stays at the center. You will be there to participate in improving the residents' living environment by transforming a park into a pleasure garden, in which the residents will be able to maintain a vegetable garden and create a sensory garden over time. The aim of this workcamp is to encourage you to meet and exchange with the other volunteers, the residents and their families by working together on a project that is useful to the community! You will meet with other local organisations and young people living in the town outside of working hours. This will all take place during a pleasant summer month, perfect for living and spending time in Aubusson!
💼 What the programme involves
The center’s educational team would like the residents to reinvest their park, in which they will be able to get back in touch with nature. Your aim will be to transform this area into a welcoming garden. In order to do this, so many small tasks will be awaiting you that it will be difficult to choose between them! You could put up a permanent wire fence; paint balusters, a bike shed and the outer walls of the pavilion; cut the hedge and repair the greenhouse and garden shed etc. You will also have to remove the breeze blocks, hutches and concrete borders that are spoiling the area. Under the instruction of a technical leader, these tasks will help you gain further experience in using tools and looking after green spaces and small buildings.
🏠 Accommodation on site
You will stay in a social center for young disable workers in Aubusson. The living conditions of your stay will be especially comfortable as each volunteer will have his/her own bedroom, shower and toilet. As well as having access to a kitchen, you will be able to use a large activities room, weights room, TV/reading area, laundry room, computer room and a sports room with pool table, ping pong table and table football. WiFi is available throughout the building.
The group will be sharing the cleaning chores and preparing meals together. The budget will be allocated to the group leader and you will participate in the preparation of dishes with good products from the market and local producers. During the week, you will eat lunch with the residents in the canteen at the Méris center. You will get around on foot between the center in which you are staying, the worksite and Aubusson's town centre.
📍 About the location
Aubusson is located in the Creuse department, which is one of the wilder French departments in terms of nature and is located within the "Millevaches" regional nature reserve. Here you will find an area in which nature has been protected and many hiking paths, lakes and outdoor activities, all just a stone's throw away from the town. As this is the international capital of tapestry, you will be able to meet people who make tapestries by hand and discover the history of this traditional craft. Aubusson is also a lively town and during the summer you will enjoy discovering its historic centre and traditional alleyways, relaxing on the shady terraces of the town centre's bars and going to concerts and shows organised by the Tourist Office.
For more information visit: http://www.adapei23.asso.fr and https://www.tourisme-aubusson.com
ℹ️ Additional information
During this workcamp you will be working with physically disabled adults. We expect you to behave responsibly and respectfully and adapt to the residents and professionals at the Méris center.
Bring work clothes, walking boots and a backpack. Nights can be chilly, so bring warm clothes and a good sleeping bag. You can also bring recipes from your home country, musical instruments and games. You will get around Aubusson by foot and car.
Foreigners belonging to the European Union must bring with them a personal EHIC (European Health Insurance Card), and everybody must, in any case, bring their insurance certificate. If health issues happen on the project, volunteers will have to pay for them, and then be reimbursed once back in their home country.
Interested in this project? Create your account and apply online.
Sign in to apply📅 Available sessions
CONCF-032
07/07/2017 → 28/07/2017
Volunteers registered
0 / 12
♂ 0/6
♀ 0/6
ℹ️ Key information
Age required
18–99 years old
Solidarity donation
0.00
French tax residents may be eligible for a tax reduction of up to 66% of their costs (membership, plane tickets, solidarity donation).
📍 Location
23200 Aubusson, France
France
🌍 Location info
Local currency
Euro Member Countries (EUR / €)
Timezone
Central European Summer Time
Local time: 21:04 (12/11/2026)
🛡️ Before you leave
✅ Features
🗣️ Languages spoken
English
French