HAM - Safeguarding of the Castle ruins
France
Teenagers
Renovation
Teenagers
Renovation
Fixed dates
About the project
HAM - Safeguarding of the Castle ruins
📝 Detailed information
🏢 About the local organisation
Built in the 13th century, the medieval fortress is a strategic point. The castle evolved with time, and quickly became a prison for Jeanne d’Arc or, later, for the prince Louis Napoleon Bonaparte (the future emperor Napoleon III). Widely destroyed by the German army in 1917, the fortress is today a ruin. Additional information (in French): http://chateau-de-ham.over-blog.com/
Since 1972, the association “Les Amis du Chateau de Ham” works to preserve and valorise this historic site. For example, they organise flea market, exhibition or theatre, etc… Since many years, Concordia has been helping them to restore the monument with the organisation of workcamps during the summer holidays.
💼 What the programme involves
*** VERSION EN FRANCAIS DISPONIBLE EN FIN DE DESCRIPTION ***
*** French version at the end of the description ***
Are you fascinated by fortified castles? Sign up and come and experience two weeks of volunteering in the Castle of Ham!
Since many years, Concordia has been helping the association “Les Amis du château de Ham” to restore the monument with the organisation of workcamps. The 11th workcamp with this partner continues the momentum with the mixt of local teenagers and international young people.
This year, the work will be once again diversified: it will include arrangements, masonry… You will also continue the development of the “prisoners” garden and consolidate former German kitchen ruins with different technics as point joins...
In brief, masonry lessons, gardener development but mostly international and intercultural exchanges and happiness are planned!
🏠 Accommodation on site
You will sleep in tents, girls and boys separated. So, don’t forget to bring your sleeping bag. A house of the village will be at your disposal for daily life (kitchen, showers…). You will share the different collective tasks and prepare the meals together.
📍 About the location
Ham is a town of about 7 000 inhabitants located in the region Hauts-de-France, east of the department of Somme, in the heart of the former Picardie region. The town is located 1h30 from Paris, 1h from Amiens and 25 min from Saint-Quentin. Rich in Gothic cathedrals, the east of Somme is mostly known as the heart of the 1st World War. Thus, the region is marked by the reconstruction architecture: the Art Deco. You will see this typical architecture in the center of Ham but mostly in Saint-Quentin (25 min). The region also has a varied heritage and a strong history to be found, in Peronne (25 min) with it former castle and the 1st Word War Museum, or Noyon (20 min) with its medieval center.
Don’t forget your swimsuit, the swimming pool of Ham will be happy to welcome you!
⚠️ Requirements
Pour les volontaires français sur ce chantier en France (to our national participants in France) :
Pour les français s'inscrivant sur notre site, les frais de participation additionnel (200 €) indiqués dans cette description sont directement intégrés aux frais d'inscription "ADOS en France" de 460 €. En effet, ceux-ci comprennent à la fois les frais d'inscription de 260 € et les frais de participation de 200 €.
*** RETROUVEZ NOS DESCRIPTIFS EN FRANCAIS ICI: ***
*** French version here: ***
https://www.concordia.fr/chantiers-france-2020
ℹ️ Additional information
Please, bring working clothes and good shoes for the work. As night can be quite cold, remember also to bring warm clothes, a warm sleeping bag and a sleeping mat. Concordia provides the tents. Don’t forget also your swimsuit if you want to try the swimming pool. Of course, you can also bring some traditional food from your home country, photos, games, etc., to share with the other participants or the local population!
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 it, and then be reimbursed once back in their home country.
You are living in Ham and you want to join the workcamp: please contact the local organisation “Les amis du château de Ham”.
Interested in this project? Create your account and apply online.
Sign in to apply📅 Available sessions
CONCF-251
01/08/2020 → 22/08/2020
Volunteers registered
0 / 18
♂ 0/9
♀ 0/9
ℹ️ Key information
Age required
15–17 years old
Solidarity donation
200.00 EUR
French tax residents may be eligible for a tax reduction of up to 66% of their costs (membership, plane tickets, solidarity donation).
📍 Location
80400 Ham, France
France
🌍 Location info
Local currency
Euro Member Countries (EUR / €)
Timezone
Central European Standard Time
Local time: 22:01 (12/11/2026)
🛡️ Before you leave
✅ Features
🗣️ Languages spoken
English
French