CBB garden

CODE: CBB0426ESC

Work:

Welcome to CBB garden: a half-acre terraced garden located in Marche-en-Famenne. CBB organizes activities there that encourage young people (and anyone) in the region to meet around the themes of ecological transition and responsible consumption. For example, in the spring and autumn, a group meets regularly to garden using organic methods. The vegetables and herbs grown in the garden benefit the young people who take part to CBB activities.

CBB garden is a place for meeting and (bio)diversity. It lives and evolves thanks to the people who get involved in it. Above all, it helps cultivate social ties, as well as sustainable and inclusive practices, between more or less vulnerable people, with or without disabilities.

Every summer, a volunteering team helps to develop CBB garden by building a dry stone wall. Dry stone construction is an ancient building technique and is listed as part of UNESCO's intangible cultural heritage. This year again, the volunteers will build a dry stone wall to define one of the terraces in the vegetable garden. They will be supervised in this task by an expert in the field.

The volunteers will also spend time gardening. Thus, depending on the needs of the garden, they will water, clear, remove weeds, plant, transplant… or contribute to other small environmental projects of CBB or its partners.

Accomodation and food

The volunteers will stay in "La Campagnette", CBB’s building in Marche-en-Famenne. Four bedrooms with bunk beds, a large room for relaxing and eating, a smaller room for activities, a small kitchen and an outdoor space will be available to the volunteers. The volunteers will do their own shopping and prepare their own meals together.

Location and leisure

Marche-en-Famenne is a small town in the countryside located in the south of the country. You can find everything there: schools, shops, industries, services... The town is surrounded by several industrial estates, but also by woods, fields and small villages where the pace of life remains rural. Liège, Namur and Luxembourg are easily accessible by train in about an hour, Brussels in two. It is also a good base camp to discover the natural heritage of the Ardenne region and to practice outdoor activities.

Project hosted by

CBB (or “Compagnons Bâtisseurs Belgium”) is a non-profit and youth organization. Its activities aim to enable young people aged 15 to 30 to develop their responsibility and personal skills to become responsible, active, critical and supportive citizens. Volunteering, a permanent international dimension, welcoming diversity and networking characterise the organization’s action. Its usual activities include organising international workcamps and volunteering teams, volunteering weekends, youth exchanges, hosting, sending and supporting volunteers through the European Solidarity Corps, etc.

Directions to meeting point

Saturday the 4th of July in Marche-en-Famenne train station at 3.40pm

Find your route on : www.belgiantrain.be

Additional comments

Be prepared for very physical work, with manual tasks outdoors that can sometimes be tough. Some stones can indeed weigh several tens of kilograms!

This project is a volunteering team, supported by the European Solidarity Corps program of the European Union. Compared to the usual workcamp participation scheme, some main financial and administrative differences must be underlined:  The participation to the ESC volunteering teams is subjects to several principles and conditions, presented on the ESC webpage: https://europa.eu/youth/solidarity/mission_en  The volunteers do not have to pay any fee (not sending, nor participation fee) to attend the project  The volunteers will receive pocket money, calculated on basis of 6€/day, once they arrive on the project in Belgium  The volunteers will receive a financial support for their travel, according to a maximum amount established in accordance with their travel distance  The volunteers need to register on the European Solidarity Corps Portal; CBB will organize their matching, on the online system, with the volunteering project  The volunteers will have to complete a participation report, submitted online by the ESC portal