A small welcoming town, a green municipal team, a pleasant living environment in the heart of Auvergne, for a nice workcamp in the heights!
The municipality of Saint-Germain-Lembron values the traces of its past, by safeguarding the historical heritage still present. It recently discovered an old dovecote (pigeon house), a small stone tower that appeared when a building with which it was intertwined was destroyed!
Last summer, an international work camp was organised to restore two facades of the dovecote, using a traditional manual lime masonry technique that is as environmentally friendly as possible: two facades therefore remain to be completed for this new 2024 work camp. You will spend about 30 hours a week on this site, working alongside a technical leader : removing the old coat using chisels, sledgehammers and metal brushes and repointing the joints between the stones with a natural coat made of lime and sand. Your involvement and that of the group will enable us to obtain a beautiful "exposed stone" finish for the dovecote.
You will be working high up next to the pigeon house, on scaffolding. If you suffer from vertigo, this is probably not the best workcamp for you! If you are not afraid, working in heights is generally a very pleasant experience and allows you to enjoy a beautiful panorama.
Accomodation and food
You will be accompanied by two camp leaders throughout your stay.
You will stay at the Centre Jeanne d'Arc, in the village, about fifteen minutes walk from the site. You will sleep in two rooms on large gymnastic mattresses (men and women separated). You will have a fully equipped community kitchen, showers and toilets, a large room for collective life and a terrace where you can sit in the cool shade of the trees. The site is closed and will be reserved for your group.
The group will be sharing the cleaning chores and preparing meals together. The budget will be allocated to the group leader and you will participate in the preparation of meals, prioritising products from the market and local producers. Wi-Fi is available in the campsite. You will be hand washing your laundry or there is a launderette in town (for a fee).
Location and leisure
Saint-Germain-Lembron is a small town of 2000 inhabitants, located next to the town of Issoire. It is crossed by several rivers such as the Lembron, hence its name. Its medieval church, its atypical fountains and its small castle allow it to preserve a heritage of typical Auvergne character.
You will have unlimited access to the gymnasium in front of your place of living, to organise sports activities (badminton, football, volleyball, basketball, gymnastics...). The municipality will ask local associations to help you discover the region. The programme for your free time includes hiking on the volcanoes, swimming in lakes and rivers, initiation to pétanque or participation in concerts and local festivals.
Project hosted by
The town has already hosted international workcamps and has a very positive image. You will meet people who are involved in ecological issues and who develop many actions with the inhabitants. For example, last winter, the school children planted a large orchard. This workcamp fully integrates this militant and sustainable development approach.
Directions to meeting point
The meeting point is at the train station of LE-BREUIL-SUR-COUZE (63) at the end of the afternoon. The exact time of the meeting will be communicated with the Info Sheet, sent one month before the beginning of the workcamp.
It is a small station on the Clermont-Ferrand - Brioude line, served several times a day. From Paris or Lyon, several trains a day leave for Clermont-Ferrand.
The trains are open to booking about 4 months before the departure dates, accessible on the following website:
https://www.sncf-connect.com/en-en/
Additional comments
Bring work clothes, walking boots and a backpack. Bring warm clothes for outdoor evenings and a sleeping bag. You can also bring recipes from your home country, musical instruments and games. You will get around Saint-Germain-Lembron by foot, car and by minibus.
On the last day (23/08), the departure time is usually set in the morning.