Volunteering projects in France

Would you like to do something different this summer? Something to stand up for justice, solidarity and sustainability in local communities while you discover a new face of France and make human connections with people from different backgrounds?

We are Solidarités Jeunesses, a non-governmental, non-profit making international organisation working for social transformation and inclusion through solidarity actions and volunteering projects.

Join our movement this summer and become a volunteer in one of our short term volunteering projects. Act for a more sustainable, equal and inclusive society !

We offer different workcamps for local development in rural areas in several French regions.  

🤔 What is an international workcamp?

• A workcamp is a group of 6 to 10 volunteers from different backgrounds. The group is led by camps and technical leaders.
• From 20 to 30 work hours per week
• Different thematics: construction, renovation, environmental protection, organisation of cultural events, etc

Example: 

Mornings: Solidarity work, the group will work on the tasks of the project and collective activities such as cleaning, cooking, shopping etc. 

Afternoons: Cultural activities, visits, walks, meetings with the local population, workshops, free time, etc. 

Nights: Free time or activities organised by the group.

Collective activities: Cooking, tidying up and cleaning are organised and taken in hand by the group of volunteers. Weekends are free time to organise together.

IMPORTANT ⚡️ What you need to know 

• Volunteering is a welcoming community that offers a valuable opportunity for the volunteer to learn, experiment, and undergo personal development. Being a volunteer is not just an activity, it’s a multi-faceted process.
• Our projects are not holidays, voluntourism, or humanitarian aid but rather activities based on solidarity and mutual exchanges. You will have a lot of fun and leisure activities too.
• You must reside in France to apply to our workcamps, if you are residing in a another country, please send us an email. We will redirect you to one of partners in your country.
• You don't need to speak French ! The official languages of our workcamps are English or/and French. So it can be a way to learn French language too. 
• Everyone is welcome! We are committed to creating an inclusive environment based on mutual respect and promoting the active participation of every person. Our actions are open to all, regardless of origins, beliefs, identities and/or sexual orientations. We see our individual differences as strengths and opportunities to learn.
• Our projects are located mainly in rural areas and stunning sites, like old factories, campsites, small village houses or even castles.
• During our workcamps, we provide food, accommodation and some leisure activities. Transport to the project is arranged by each participant themselves.
• Accommodation is collective and varies depending on the project. In a dormitory, yurt, tent ... The conditions are detailed in each description.
• All projects are designed to be accessible to everyone, without any prerequisites. Learning and sharing on the spot is an integral part of the experience.
• It is possible to apply with a friend, but we make sure to have mixed groups for greater cultural enrichment.

😁 Why participate?

• Discover a new face of France;
• Development of autonomy;
• Discovering manual work techniques;
• Practice French and discover other languages;
• If you are a student in France, your workcamp can be validated as a "stage" (convention de stage up to 2 months);
• Make real human connections.

💰 Financial conditions

There are three concepts to be paid to be part of in a workcamp.

• Membership: You must be a member of Solidarités Jeunesses to participate in our activities. By joining, you become a member of our association for the current year. You can choose your membership level:
  • € 15 - Adherent member: have a consultative voice at the General Assembly.
  • from € 20 - Active member: can benefit from our training sessions, events and activities. You will have a deliberative voice and can be elected to the Council of the Association.
• Registration fees: € 120 for adult workcamps in France. Our actions and projects are partially covered by public regional, national and European funds. However, these subsidies do not cover all of the costs of our operations. The registration fees allow Solidarités Jeunesses to cover the remaining part. Our accounts are certified each year by an Auditor and communicated during the General Assembly. If you want to know more about our financial transparency (in French) click HERE.
• International Solidarity Fund (FIS): By contributing € 10, this fund supports financially volunteers from difficult backgrounds or social disadvantages to participate in our workcamps.

😉 How to take part

1. UNDERSTAND & SHARE the notion of volunteering with Solidarités Jeunesses and its values.
2. SELECT YOUR PROJECT in our PROJECT SEARCH (accessible in English by clicking on the yellow magnifying glass icon “🔍” at the top of the page) and choose carefully a volunteering project that corresponds to your interests for the benefit of a local community. Choose at least three other projects in order of preference, in case the first is no longer available.
3. APPLY ONLINE and accept the fees, conditions and activities of the programmes.
4. GET READY and organise your trip once you receive the confirmation of your participation
5. IT'S TIME FOR YOUR AVENTURE SOLIDAIRE ! You will be participating with other young people from different backgrounds and the local population.
6. SHARE YOUR EXPERIENCE by participating in one of our "Week-Ends de Retour d'Expériences" after your workcamp.

Discover our spring and summer projects HERE

📲 Need inspiration to volunteer with SJ? We present to you SJ BROADCAST, volunteering projects recommendations directly on Whatsapp!

No spam, only one message per week, free to leave whenever you want
To join 👉  CLICK HERE

🔐 Data protection and privacy is our priority. Other people won't see your phone number and won't be able to contact you. We are is committed to protecting your personal data and not using it for any other purpose

📨 If you have questions please, contact Elodie 

 01 55 26 88 77 or workcamp.in@solidaritesjeunesses.org