Category: Charities

DAVID Brennan is set to take part in a tandem parachute jump, dropping out the side of a small aeroplane above La Rochelle on 23 July.

He is raising money for Pepis Dog Refuge, in Seville, but just what makes someone take such a leap?

Here he writes how he got involved and you can support him by making an online donation.

“Why am I jumping out of an aeroplane over the sea? I’ll tell you why…

I’ve loved dogs for as long as I can remember. My love of greyhounds, and subsequently levriers and galgos started in England when an abandoned greyhound turned up at our home early one morning, and never left.

(more…)

DAVID Brennan is to take to the skies above La Rochelle and undertake a tandem parachute jump to raise desperately needed funds for Pepis Dog Refuge, in Seville.

His jump takes place on 23 July, and he has his sights set on raising €6,000 and so is keen to drum up sponsors for his project.

“It will cost €5,000 to fence an area of land where the refuge can relocate to the top of the hill above the house and kennels,” David said.

“As it has been engulfed in mud slides over winter. The house is now declared unsafe to live in.

“And it will cost €1,000 to buy a new electricity generator as the last one died and they are struggling.

“They can’t use power tools and the refuge does not have sufficient electricity for its day to day running.”

The tandem parachute jump takes people as high as 3,500 metres and then from the edge of the aeroplane the jump takes you out into the blue skies over La Rochelle and the Ile de Re.

Find out more on how to donate to David’s cause and about the work of the Pepis Dog Refuge.

MORE needs to be done to make businesses and public bodies aware of the rights of guide dog owners, claims the Fédération Française des Associations Chiens guides d’aveugles (FFAC).

A study by the association found that at least once a week guide dog owners faced restrictions in public places, despite being legally able to access establishments such as restaurants, shops and public buildings.

The association used 119 guide dog owners across France, asking them to visit 1,044 services, between February 12 and 27, 2013 with some worrying findings.

In around 7% of cases problems were faced trying to access food shops and public services such as the mairie and police stations.

But access with a guide dog gets worse in other establishments and services:

• 12% of cases in a supermarket
• 15.4% of cases in a cinema
• 16.8% of cases in a theatre
• 23.9% of cases in a hotel
• 32.9% of cases in a taxi
• 40.2% of cases in a guest house

With the association set to put its findings to the disability minister Marie-Arlette Carlotti today it says more needs to be done to make people aware of the regulations.

Fines range from €150 to €450 for establishments who deny access to guide dogs and their owners.

IN October Phil Voice will be setting off from Bergerac, in south west France, and head to John O’Groats in Scotland to raise money for horticulture charity Perennial.

And he will be doing it on a ride-on lawnmower.

Phil’s Mowerthon campaign will rack up more than 2,000km on an Etesia H124 mower that is being developed in France to include a heated cabin to beat the unpredictable British weather.

But there is a serious side to the adventure as Phil is raising money for Perenial (Royal Gardeners’ Benevolent Society) which provides free, confidential advice and support to everyone, and their families, working in, or retired from working in horticulture.

(more…)

Loubejac’s comités des fêtes heads back to school for Christmas
IT is this time of year when many of us look back over what we have done, what we might have done and maybe what we hope to do in the near future.

If one of these changes is to get involved more within the local community, or to pass on your knowledge to groups and associations here are a few ideas.

On a personal level, one of the best things I have done is get involved with the local comités des fêtes, which saw me help out at a wind-lashed summer fair, join the committee itself and dress up as an English schoolboy, complete with cricket hat and bat, for the children’s Christmas show.

Often the same people are always helping out, so a new face or two is sure to lift the spirits of the volunteers at your local comités des fêtes, and it is a great way to improve your French language skills.

Below is a collection of charitable groups that have featured on the site over the years, so you can find out more about each one, and offer a helping hand.

Confédération des MJC de France
The MJC is a national organisation first set up in 1948 which runs events for all ages, there are many local groups that meet regularly, and Coral dropped in on one.

Cancer Support France
This voluntary service offers English-language help and support to both people with cancer and their carers.

The Royal British Legion in France
Offers social events across France, and welcomes new members whether ex-service or not, British nationality, French, or any other.

Geoff Thomas Foundation
The former England football international is a regular on the Tour de France and his organisation raises money for leukaemia research.

SOS Helpline
Offers a confidential listening service to English speakers in France, but is always keen to accept volunteers.

Secours Populaire Français
A national organisation that organises events to raise money in support of children and disadvantaged families.

The Phoenix Association
Based in the Dordogne, this long established animal charity is able to offer advice and often has pets looking for a new home.

Dog Rescue Carcassonne
The SPA animal charity has centres across France, but Rowan Gwillim has gone that step further and is both helping at her local rescue home and using the web to help stray, read more about her work.

Galgo News
A site I’ve helped set up but which is written by Beryl Brennan on an almost daily occurrence, helps in the rehoming of greyhounds and other dogs from Spain and features links to many associations.

Chats du Quercy
I couldn’t leave our feline friends out. Run by Lynn Stone the association specialise in cat welfare, running trap-neuter-return schemes and issuing neutering vouchers around south west France with adoptions throughout France as a whole.

Equine Rescue France
Oh yes and don’t forget the help and advice offered by Trina Summerfield, and Jon and Kathryn Dobson for horses and donkeys which have suffered neglect. Beryl visited the team to find out more.

Find more animal rescue centres in France.

And so over to you, if you currently help a local charity leave a line in the comment form below about its work. And if you complete the website address field this will automatically link to your site.

WITH the festive period just around the corner, you may be thinking of giving a little back and volunteering for a charitable group.

Be it helping raise funds for the homeless, supporting a children’s home or organising a musical evening for an animal charity, there is usually something you can do.

(more…)

FROM her home in Deux-Sèvres, Beryl Brennan has been writing about, rescuing and homing galgo dogs often abandoned on the streets of Spanish towns.

Beryl has put together an ebook covering the history of the galgo, as well as the difficulties the animals face today, which is titled From Heaven to Hell – The Story of the Galgo Espanol.

A percentage of the proceeds from the sale of the book will go to Beryl’s galgo fund for donations to appeals for help posted on Galgo News.

IF you are looking forward to the new year and are keen to offer your time to a charity in France then here are a few to explore.

There is a mix of both French and English groups, and if you are a member of an association please feel free to add contact details via the comment form below:

(more…)

IT must take a particularly cold heart to leave your animals behind and return to the UK, hoping that someone else will pick up the pieces.

But that was the reason why Lynn Stone, of the charity Les Amis des Chats, took a call from a French family looking for a home for the animals.

“We took a couple of cats in the other day through some French people whose English neighbours had just upped and left their horses, their dogs and their cats behind,” Lynn said.

(more…)

THE charity, Les Amis Des Chats, has brought its knowledge of the feline world to the English class of a village school in Tarn et Garonne.

Children at the Touffailles primary school have been joined by Charlie, a cuddly soft toy, to help with English lessons but also involve the class in learning more about responsible pet ownership.

Lynne Stone, of the charity, said: “With the help of Charlie, and other cat related resources, the children have complimented their normal English lessons by using pictures of cats to identify different colours and recognise facial expressions.

(more…)