GUIDE TO ASSOCIATIONS CLUBS AND
Getting involved in your local community is a great way to make friends, improve your French and feel
settled – and joining a local club or association is one of the best ways to integrate, says Catharine Higginson
W
hen chatting to people who are moving to France, one
of the questions that comes up time and time again is: “what’s the best way to meet people and integrate into the community?”. Everyone is diff erent and there’s no one solution that works for all, but joining in with local events or activities has to be a good start. Whether you want to
make friends, develop local contacts or start networking, getting involved in local life is essential. Some people are entirely happy with their own company but even so, it’s a good idea to get to know the people around you because you never know when you might need a helping hand. Joining in will also force you
to speak to people and thus improve your language skills. Even those who can speak only very basic French will fi nd that their vocabulary and fl uency develops simply by interacting with French speakers on a regular basis.
COMMON INTERESTS Having decided that ‘joining in’ will help you on your journey to full integration, you need to think about what you’d like to do; perhaps you want to practice an existing hobby or develop a new skill?
“Many towns organise a ‘forum des associations’, featuring
local clubs and associations catering for all interests”
If you are into photography or watercolour painting, then joining a camera club or local art group will mean you meet people you are bound to have something in common with. Equally, if you’ve always
wanted to learn to play tennis, then joining the tennis club will give you access to a whole new group of people. You may have nothing in common with any of them apart from a desire to play tennis, but it’s just as likely you could meet some friends too. If you are the type of person who enjoys helping others,
then becoming a volunteer or bénévole is a wonderful way to meet likeminded people. Joining a ‘language exchange’ or conversation club is another good way to meet people you are likely to fi nd some common ground with. Many French speakers
actively want to improve their English and chatting in two languages in an informal setting like this is a great way to improve your French while getting to know people in the local area. And if there isn’t a conversation group already
established near you, why not start one yourself? So how do you go about
fi nding what’s available in your area? These days even the smallest communes often have a website that lists everything going on. A quick look at our commune site (just under 600 inhabitants) reveals that in addition to la chasse (hunting), there are clubs for cycling, basketball, Japanese fl ower arranging, the elderly, walking and a gym.
COMMUNITY SPIRIT In addition there are groups responsible for organising the annual village fêtes, other events and fundraising for the restored windmill, which is now the hub of the community, complete with a snack bar and boulangerie selling products made with locally grown fl our, which is milled on-site. These types of groups
welcome volunteers and if you off er your services, they will be gratefully accepted. If you have specialist skills, sports clubs such as rugby, football and so on are always looking for referees and coaches, and this is a great way to get involved and meet people. If there’s something you are
If you join a sports club or do a charity run, you’ll need a medical certifi cate 86 FRENCH PROPERTY NEWS: January/February 2024
especially interested in and there’s nothing similar in your commune, pop into the mairie and ask. The staff usually have
© SHUTTERSTOCK
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