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Help save our Project in France

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Each year La Giraudiere hosts volunteers and interns of all ages, from all backgrounds and different nationalities. The accommodation fees we collect pay to finance the running costs of our culture exchange center in south west France.

This year we have already lost our income for April, May and June. Earlier in June the French prime minister announced the start of the finish of the present lock down so maybe we will be hosting volunteers and interns from late July onward but we know it will be difficult to arrange transport and other logistics. Also visitors would have to check if self quarantine rules are in place both for outward and return journeys.

So presently we have no income this year but we still have to pay loans, taxes, rates, insurance and maintain the center, La Giraudiere, in readiness for when we can reopen. As a non profit association based in France we have always put back into the project any surplus achieved and therefore have never provided or produced funds for such a situation which we now find ourselves in due to the coronavirus or Covid19.

We now look to friends and those who have either benefited from their time at La Giraudiere to come to our aid and help us get through thus difficult time. Maybe you were one of those due to arrive this year as a first timer or maybe La Giraudiere was to be something for you later, if you can help then please accept our thanks.

Apart from a donation you can also help by sharing  and liking our various posts and comments on our social media concerning this fund raiser. Any help you can offer would be appreciated for those of you who have never been to La Giraudiere then you can read more about us below and at our website http://www.lagiraudiere.com/about_us.html

We need funding to help save our project in France.  La Giraudiere is the home of the association “Les Amis De La Giraudière” situated one kilometre from the village of Brossac which is in the region of Nouvelle Aquitaine, South west France.  L’association, Les Amis De La Giraudière is a non-profit, non government organisation, NGO, registered with the prefecture of the department of the Charente. Our national identification is number is Numero siret 798 [phone redacted]5.

La Giraudière is well established in the village life of Brossac and yet remains international in its operations and scope. This mixture of Local French life, European awareness and international outlook provides a place for cultural understanding with a unique French experience.

Since 2008 La Giraudière as been hosting volunteers, interns, trainees and educational groups and provided scholarships for those who need.

“At La Giraudiere Volunteers help but informally learn whilst Interns and trainees arrive to learn but also informally help”

Volunteers of all ages and from all points of the globe have helped create the center La Giraudiere and continue to help today to improve, not just the the center, but also the programs offered and help with the day to day running of the center.

Interns & trainees profit from the learning internships and trainee-ships which are focused around the day to day running of the association, the programs and it’s center. These are as varied as project management, entrepreneurship, hospitality, marketing, accounting, property maintenance to say just but a few. The Learning internships at La Giraudière are both training and preparation for the working world. They provide the bridge from studying to a real job.

In 2010, Our first School group arrived,  La Giraudière as played host to schools, academies and university groups from UK and the USA. School trips and school groups are another of our focuses.

In 2016, La Giraudiere applied and in 2017 received an Erasmus accreditation as a organizing and receiving agency of the ERASMUS + program. The program is administered and funded by the European Commission under the lifelong learning program.  Erasmus + is open to people from 17-30 and presents the opportunity for applicants to be funded for a volunteer stay on a selected and European approved project at La Giraudiere. The period of volunteering can be up to one year.

In 2017, Our first project under the European Volunteer Service was approved for funding the project was titled “Young Entrepreneurs Rejuvenate Rural France” and aimed at reducing the decline in rural area of France by encouraging entrepreneurship in the rural youth..

In 2019, La Giraudiere received approval & funding of a project titled “Recognizing Young Entrepreneurs and teaching Entrepreneurship” submitted for funding under the European Solidarity Corps. The project will aim to introduce the subject of Entrepreneurship into formal education.

The teaching resources at la Giraudiere are endless apart from the officers, teachers and members of the association each year the variety of volunteers that participate and contribute towards the project and it’s different programs are as wide ranging as a CEO from USA, an accountant from Japan, entrepreneurs from Australia, a retired Supreme court judge from New Zealand, solicitor from Ireland, Doctor from Scotland, website creators from China.

The association’s income is derived from Donations, grants and fees contributed from the hosting of volunteers and interns, we also from time to time hold fundraising community events.

Due to the present situation of the corona virus there will be no, or little, volunteers or interns arriving at La Giraudiere in 2020. As a non-profit association we have no resources to fall back on and hence we need to raise enough to pay our operating costs/expenses which amount to 8,000 - 9,000€.

OUR MISSION
“Is to provide a place of learning and culture exchange open to people of all ages, all nationalities and from all backgrounds of life”.

Part of our mission is already being achieved through our volunteers program which offers an affordable way for people to come, take part and learn about France, its language, its culture and its lifestyle and at the same time learn about each other’s culture. Similar with our internship and trainee-ship programs.

Another Part of our mission is also achieved through the Erasmus programs whereby students between the age of 18 - 30 can come and participate on selected projects at La Giraudiere at no cost to the participant.

We also offer scholarships to those unable to benefit from the European Funded programs. Through the Scholarships on offer at La Giraudiere. Participants are able to participate as a volunteer, intern or as a trainee sponsored by our association. These places are offered free of fees to warranted and selected participants.

You can read more about our project upon our website at  http://www.lagiraudiere.com/ we are also arranging to display our balance sheet and other information  upon our website. Any excess funds raised above what is needed to survive this difficult year will go towards the fund for the purchase on a mini bus for the association.

Donations 

  • Thomas Clinch
    • €150 
    • 3 yrs

Organizer

Paul Rice La Giraudiere
Organizer

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