The international hosting centre of Vaunières (Les Villages de Jeunes association) has welcomed people from all sociocultural background for over 50 years. International volunteers, youngsters, groups, families, and hikers live and work together at the heart of this hamlet nested in the middle of a circle of mountains. Through their workcamps, meals, outings and activities, all these people meet each other in a joyful atmosphere. These people are housed in different buildings but also in camping tents. This year we are going to expand and renew one of our camping sites, "Le camping des trolls"
Work:
As a volunteer in this international workcamps, you will be brought in to help with the renovation of a log cabin and with the arrangement of 10 small camping terraces. Tasks will include: disassembly, frame, woodworking, creation of wood elements, insulation, interior arrangements (benches, tables, kitchenette, decoration), ground work, terracing, soil enrichment.This workcamp will be an opportunity to develop knowledge and techniques related to wood and to the soil arrangement (terrace implantation, tracing circulation paths, planting hedges to define spaces and cut the dominant winds.)
Accomodation & food:
in tents (for 2 or 3 people)
Location & leisure:
Leisure activities: You will be immersed in the village's life by taking part in pizza evenings, barbecues, themed dance evenings, international meals, sports etc. In addition, our hamlet is located at the crossroads of several hiking trails and small streams, hikes, walks and swimming will be part of the activities proposed. You will also be able to participate in local events (festivals, province markets) and to visit the Buëch Region
Location:
Hameau de Vaunières, St-Julien-en-Beauchêne, 50 km away from Gap
The project You will be hosted in a little village of Auvergne region. You will help in the embellishment of an hiking trail in a beautiful landscape.
Works :
You will clean and paint the fences on the viaducts.
Activities:
On your arrival, leaders will propose several activities; your ideas are welcome and everything can be discussed. So be imaginative, the workcamp is a place for having fun! We don’t expect you to do activities on your own, you will live an experience in a group!
Location:
The workcamp is located in the thermal village of Neris Les Bains, in Allier district, in Auvergne region. There are lot of possible walks and hikes to discover this beautiful environment and take advantage about balneology.
Accomodation:
In tents in the lake campground. Nights may be cold in this region, bring your sleeping bag and a rain coat.
Special Requirements:
The viaducts are quite high, so this is not a camp for volunteers who suffer vertigo.
Close to Saint-Etienne, important city for Design, come to discover the city of Roche-La-Molière, which hosts an authentic medieval castle, and participate to its renovation. Between tradition and modernity, Roche la Molière is a welcoming city where street arts and old stones from the medieval city mingle in harmony. Its castle, which has been renovated, is now a much appreciated location for the locals, for its green spaces for the children and the adults, and the cultural activities proposed inside its walls. The surroundings of the castle, in particular a low outer wall and vaults remaining from the past, need to be renovated to valorize this heritage.
Work:
It will be the first workcamp with the municipality of Roche la Molière, which wishes to support the youngsters' involvement on its territory. In connection with the technical services of the municipality, you'll participate to renovate a little low outer wall, realizing some masonry works. In the continuation of this first activity, you'll also work on the vaults that need to be cleaned from the ivy.
Accommodation and food:
You will sleep in tents, boys and girls separated, on the Sports Hall, close to the location of the workcamp. Don't forget to bring your sleeping bag. The meals will be organized in a kitchen space fitted with the necessary. Toilets and showers will be put at your disposal in the locker-room of the rugby stadium A communal room will be at your disposal to shelter in case of bad weather. You will participate to prepare the meals alternately, with products that will be bought in the area. We'll favor the local products and the short supply circuits. Tastings of local specialties may also be organized with local producers.
Location and leisure:
The municipality of Roche la Molière is part of the urban area of Saint-Etienne, located 10 km away. From Saint-Etienne, you can go easily to Lyon (60 km) or to other cities from the Auvergne Rhône-Alpes region which offers a very diverse environment (Alps Mountains, Auvergne volcanoes…). In the city or nearby, you'll be able to make many discoveries and practice sportive or cultural activities. The water sports base of Saint-Victor-sur-Loire is 7 km away, and offers you a free bathing site. You'll be able to discover the Gorges de la Loire, and participate to animations proposed for young people.
Remarks and requirements:
Bring along a pair of working gloves, sturdy shoes and clothes that can get dirty. Don't forget your swimming suit and solar protections. To reach the high parts of the vaults, scaffoldings will be necessary. You will be supervised by a technical animator but a medical certificate for working in heights will be required to all volunteers. Some convivial times will be organized! If you want to share a bit of your culture with the others, bring a piece of your country in your backpack (cooking recipes, traditional tales, unusual objects…).
Meeting point:
« Mairie de Roche » Bus stop. From the Saint-Etienne Chateaucreux train station, take the bus n°2 direction Firminy.
This workcamp takes place at the Citrus Association (Solidarités Jeunesses in Midi-Pyrénées) site in Laguépie, where you will work on two big projects started 3 years ago by several workcamps for teenagers: the construction of a kitchen and landscaping in the garden. Accompanied by enthusiastic leaders, you will share the work time but also many moments of cultural exchanges as well as the meals with the socio-professional insertion team and other french youngsters hosted at the site.
Work:
The main works to be conducted will be in masonry, gardening and eco-construction: The construction of a large common kitchen to standards in the Citrus association's facilities to host groups; landscaping on the Mayounelle Garden and reception site (decoration, outside furniture); construction of an environmentally friendly greenhouse. The works will be supervised by Citrus members, and every day you will work with the organisation professional insertion team.
Accomodation & food:
In tents in the Citrus site at La Mayounelle, with access to covered toilet unit and kitchen.
Location & leisure:
Leisure activities: Outside of the work time, you will have the opportunity to go for walks, go swimming, meet peers from the workcamp in Laguépie, organise outdoor activities-oven pizza evenings, game nights, visits to exceptional medieval cities such as Najac, Cordes sur Ciel, Saint-Antonin-Noble-Val. Food and nutrition workshop will also be planned to better understand the basics of a balanced diet.
Location:
Laguépie, 100 km North-East of Toulouse, between Albi and Villefranche de Rouergue.Closest train station Laguépie
The hiking Zone in Buëch Region Association (www.buech-rando.com) comprises 5 communities of communes in Hautes-Alpes with a common goal: set, lead and promote non-motorised treks –pedestrian, biking, mountain biking, horse riding- in order to develop the local tourism. Given the large scope of maintenance works that need to be done every year in the nearly 1000 kilometres of trails, since 2010, the association organises several international workcamps in conjunction with "Les Villages des Jeunes" (www.villagesdesjeunes.org) This workcamp is a real opportunity to be immersed in nature during the day and to share the local life with the residents in the evening. The works proposed are accessible to everyone but they require walking to the low mountain to arrive at the work site every day.
Work:
Vaunières is located in the border of the Hautes-Alpes and Drôme regions, and is surrounded by mountains. The Quigouret rises over the village with its 1800m. Every morning the team will leave from Vaunières to the low mountain, noting the progress made as the days go by. We will clear the vegetation and trees that have invaded the trails, and prune and chart a trail named "la Boucle d'Or" (The Golden Circle) that allows to make the complete lap of the mountain cirque in 3 hours of hiking.
Accomodation & food:
In camping tents of 2 or 3 persons
Location & leisure:
Leisure activities: With the help of other volunteers and the leading team, you will be able to organise your recreational activities and outings: local cultural events, touristic visits of the region, sports activities. You will be housed in one of the camps of the hamlet, so you will be able to take advantage of the villages offers and to share an atmosphere of conviviality and multiculturalism: pizza night, sports games, barbecue, international meal, film screenings etc.
Situation:
Hameau de Vaunière, St. Julien-en-Beauchêne, 50km away from Gap.
In the Thorame-Haute municipality in the Alps, is found the small hamlet of Ondres. A lively and visited town for a very long time in the past, the village was depopulated at the beginning of the 20th century. In 1950, a handful of vacationers, recognizing the beauty and uniqueness of the place, decided to restore various buildings (chapel, school….) In order to revitalize this isolated and atypical place, the municipality has decided to work with the association "Les Villages Des Jeunes" to extend the life of the buildings. Hanging from to the mountain and hidden in the landscape, Ondres will know how to welcome you to its first international workcamp.
Work:
The work will aim to rebuild a 7-8m long dry stonewall that is currently in a very poor condition. You will learn how to take apart the existing remains and to build a stable base for the wall. You will raise a wall using traditional masonry techniques and the existing local stones.
Accomodation & food:
In tents in Saint Firmin campground
Location & leisure:
Leisure time: You will be able to organize hikes, swimming, sports activities, and multiple touristic visits to the region of Verdon. You will also be able to organize events with the local community such as international meals and a "workcamp day" with the residents. Finally, you will be immersed in the community and its lifestyle through their seasonal festivities.
Location:
Ondres, Thorame-Haute, 65 kms from Digne-Les-Bains.
The project You will be hosted in a little village of the Auvergne region. You will help in the embellishment of hiking trail in a beautiful landscape.
Work:
You will clean and paint the fences on the viaducts.
Activities:
On your arrival, leaders will propose several activities; your ideas are welcome and everything can be discussed. So be imaginative, the workcamp is a place for having fun! We don’t expect you to do activities on your own, you will live an experience in a group.
Location:
The workcamp is located in the thermal village of Neris Les Bains, in Allier district, in Auvergne region. There are lot of possible walks and hikes to discover this beautiful environment and take advantage about balneology.
Accomodation:
In tents in the lake campground. Nights may be cold in this region, bring your sleeping bag and rain coat.
Special Requirements:
The viaducts are quite high, so this is not a camp for volunteers who suffer vertigo.
« I would recommend participating in a workcamp, especially with VAP, who ensured that I found a project to suit me and provided essential training for me in preparation for my trip. Being part of a workcamp really is a life-changing experience, oh, and it looks great on your CV! »
