La Giraudiere is the home of the association “Les Amis De La Giraudière” situated one kilometer 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 798 712 048 00015.

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.

“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. They 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 traineeships 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 organising and receiving agency of the ERASMUS + program. The program is administered and funded by the European Commision 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”. The project was 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 aimed 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 wide ranging. 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. All have contributed time at La Giraudiere, the list is endless.

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. Check out Gaelic night at La Giraudiere below.

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 traineeship 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 now take this a step further and offer scholarships to those unable to benefit from the European Funded programs. Through the Scholarships on offer at La Giraudiere. Participants will be able to participate as a volunteer, intern or as a trainee sponsored by our association. These places will be free of fees to warranted and selected participants.

Find out more about us by visiting our social media and other links below.