THE English Church at Saint Pargoire in the Hérault held its first service in March this year and is keen to welcome more people through its doors.
The church uses the chapel of the Église Réformée in the village of Saint Pargoire, north-east of Pézenas, and meets once a month at 10am on the first Sunday of the month for Holy Communion.
More on: English church in Hérault rolls out welcome mat
THE popular Phoenix Association book sale takes place on April 24, 2010, with all proceeds going to the animal rescue service.
Take your pick from thousands of books all priced at €1, while people are urged to bring their own books they have finished with so that the selection is constantly fresh.
Even if you don't spot a book that appeals, visitors can always enjoy a glass of wine or a beer, as well as sausage rolls, quiche and home baked cakes.
More on: Phoenix Association book sale at Campsegret (24)
KEEN cyclists are being urged to take to their bikes and sign up for a three-day trip from London to Paris in aid of Doctors of the World UK.
The UK arm of Medecins du Monde has launched its charity bike ride appeal which will take place in late July and cover almost 190 miles, reaching Paris is time to see the final stage of the Tour de France as the professionals peddle up the Champs Elysées.
Riders from the UK will be joined by a team from the French HQ bringing an international flavour to the event.
Medecins du Monde (MDM) is an international non-governmental humanitarian aid organization founded in 1980 by a group of French physicians.
More on: London to Paris bike ride in aid of Medecins du Monde
CAT rescue charity Les Amis des Chats has four lucky black cats, as well as many others, currently available for adoption.
The charity, which is based in the north of the Tarn-et-Garonne, has a number of cats looking for homes.
More on: Lucky black cats, and many others, looking for a home
CAT charity Les Amis des Chats has published its 2009 report, providing an insight into the work it undertakes.
The charity helped over 500 cats last year, ensured 40 communes were aware of its work in dealing with feral cats and spent €35,000, with 86 per cent of the expenditure in 2009 used specifically for the welfare of cats.
But the charity faces a difficult future as one of its most important financial supporters is set to withdraw its assistance this year.
More on: Annual report from Les Amis des Chats
THE devastating earthquake which hit Haiti has seen many people left homeless and thousands presumed dead.
France Télévisions has an in-depth news section on its site and is joining Radio France in working alongside charitable organisation, Fondation de France, to raise money towards helping the sick and injured.
It is possible to donate online through the Fondation de France website, as well as send a cheque via the post.
More on: Fund raising efforts in France following Haiti quake
Looking to the horizon and spending time in a new environment
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 on: Offering your time to a charity in France
THE evangelical church is gaining a growing influence in France with more then 400,000 believers according to the Fédération Evangélique de France.
The Guardian newspaper reports from a service in Paris, where the usual songs and music play, while pastor Franck Lefillatre talks to the congregation.
But the French belief of laïcité and a frim split between church and state has seen some worry about the growing popularity of the faith.
More on: Evangelical churches in France
DEDICATED cat charity, Les Amis des Chats, will be hosting a celebratory evening of all things feline early next month.
Their Cat Celebration Gala Evening will take place at Le Brelan Restaurant near Tournon D’Agenais, Lot et Garonne on October 3.
The highlight of the evening will be the presentation of awards to the cat owners who have a story to tell about their own very special feline friend.
More on: Gala evening of feline stories in Lot et Garonne
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 on: Brits head back to UK, leaving their animals behind
IT is set to be a busy few weeks for the Chaplaincy of Aquitaine as a number of events take place across the region.
In the Dordogne there will be a boules competition after a picnic on Sunday, June 14 starting about 12.15pm at le Port in Limeuil.
Bring some flat shoes and a strong arm, while a small fee will be charged to cover prizes.
More on: Music and fundraising with the Chaplaincy of Aquitaine
A GROUP of cyclists raising money for the Help for Heroes charity are setting off from Portsmouth to eventually arrive in Paris.
The BBC reports that around 240 cyclists will take on the challenge as they attempt to raise over £1.4m, money that will be spent on helping injured service personnel.
The cycle tour will take in many of the battlefields connected with D-Day, with each stage of the journey being used to remember the fallen of the different Allied nations.
More on: Help for Heroes tour France to raise money
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 on: Anglais avec les chats in French classrooms
PEOPLE will have heard about rheumatoid arthritis and no doubt some will know how it affects you, writes Coral Luke.
I was diagnosed last year and I have it in my hands, wrists, elbows, shoulder, feet, ankles and knees. The pain is excruciating and I explain that walking is like walking on gravel with no shoes.
L'Association Française des Polyarthritiques & des Rhumatismes Inflammatoires Chroniques (AFPRIC) acknowledge that between 300,000 and 600,000 people are affected in France by rheumatoid arthritis and the affects of the obstacles faced by them every day.
More on: Arthritis association to sell nautical miles for research
THE popular Phoenix Association book sale takes place on April 18, with all proceeds going to the animal rescue service.
This is the ninth sale with more than 12,000 books available all priced at €1, while people are urged to bring their own books they have finished with so that the selection is constantly fresh.
Even if you don't spot a book that appeals, visitors can always enjoy a glass of wine or a beer, as well as sausage rolls, quiche and home baked cakes.
More on: The Great Euro Book Sale for the Phoenix Association
MANY a postcard in France features the cute, sugar-coated, image of a kitten looking out of a basket of flowers, but behind such village scenes the problem of feral cats can be a real issue.
And whilst there are many animal rescue centres able to help out, the fact that cat numbers are rarely controlled causes problems for both local people and the mairie.
Lynn Stone, of the charity Les Amis des Chats, is involved in a project in the Lot et Garonne that aims to tackle the issue where the plan is to trap, neuter and return the cats.
More on: Offering a helping hand to wild cats
MEDECINS du Monde UK is looking for adventurous cyclists to sign up for its third London to Paris bike ride which sets off in July.
The three day expedition begins in the heart of London where bikers will set off through the bustling streets of the capital into the leafy suburbs to the relatively traffic free roads of Newhaven. From there the team will travel by ferry to Dieppe.
More on: Get on your bike for Medecins du Monde
AT this time of year many people look back over the past 12 months and begin to think about the changes they might want to make in the 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.
I have collected together a number of charitable organisation that I've written about in the past, who look to work with both English speakers and French, so that you can discover more about their work.
More on: Offer a helping hand to charities in France
MORE commonly known as Restos du Cœur, this charitable organization has been in operation since the comedian and actor Coluche launched the idea on September 26, 1985.
Coluche, or to give him his real name Michel Colucci, became known for his irreverent attitude towards politics and the Establishment and he incorporated this into much of his material.
The basic idea of Restos du Cœur is that they collect food, money, books, toys and clothes for the needy and the homeless.
Anyone can use the Restos and buy a basic meal of soup and bread at the price of a full meal at another restaurant; all this helps to boost the charity fund to provide meals and other necessities for those in need.
More on: Work from the heart of Restaurants du Cœur
WHEN Jill Tampin wanted to help raise funds for charity Cancer Support France (CSF) it was the kitchen and her own personal life that provided the inspiration.
From her home in the Aude, Jill is putting together a book featuring the favourite recipes of people, but also the stories behind the dish, that will help support the charity.
More on: Cooking up a dish for recipe book
The poppy has a long association, and is a strong symbol, of Remembrance Day
OVER the coming days the towns and villages of France will be preparing for Armistice Day, especially so this year as it marks 90 years since the end of World War One.
At smaller ceremonies school children will be asked to read out the names of villagers killed in conflicts, while larger towns and cities will see young and old mix as those lost are remembered.
To mark the 90th anniversary of the signing of the Armistice, The Royal British Legion will be holding special ceremonies and events.
More on: The Royal British Legion marks Armistice Day in France
Learning new skills such as permaculture at The Dharma House
WHEN a group of friends from Brighton decided to leave the rat race behind they found themselves a place in the foothills of the Cévennes mountains.
And that place has become The Dharma House, a centre for people to study ecology, undertake meditation and learn how to lead a more sustainable life.
More on: Living the Dharma House way of life
THE Secours Populaire Français (SPF) is a French association, created in 1945, which has been declared Grande cause national that operates through donations and fundraising events.
They involve themselves particularly with the problems surrounding children and disadvantaged families. In the short term this is with food and clothing and in the long term, with the help of professionals to obtain access to culture, sport, leisure, health, vaccinations, housing and personal rights.
The Secours Populaire Français operates throughout France, and works with other partner associations, and offers help to anyone in need.
More on: The work of Secours Populaire Français
IN 1967 a young Breton schoolboy was shocked as he watched televised pictures of the Biafran war in Nigeria.
These pictures triggered a dream in the young Jean-Marc Le Bail to find a way to help African people. In 1978 he built his own house and joined an ecological society which supported third world projects.
More on: Le Village Gaulois in Brittany
THE former French president Jacques Chirac has launched a new foundation that aims to protect threatened languages and tackle environmental issues.
The Fondation Chirac was formally launched at the Musée du Quai Branly, in Paris, were he was joined by former UN secretary general Kofi Annan and three Nobel Peace laureates.
More on: Chirac launches foundation to help planet and languages
Campaign: Trina Summerfield alongside Jon and Kathryn Dobson of Equine Rescue France
TWELVE months after Trina Summerfield's first foray into the world of horses being slaughter for meat in France, and nine months after the launch of
Equine Rescue France, the association recently held its first Annual General Meeting,
writes Beryl Brennan.
More on: Fighting for the care of horses in France
FOR many amateur cyclists the challenge of completing just one stage of the Tour de France during L’Etape du Tour is enough, but for Martyn Jones that's just a start.
Martyn intends to cycle this year's Tour de France course in full, that's 3,500 kilometres, in aid of two charities, the Association of Young People with M.E. and The British Heart Foundation.
More on: Targeting the Tour de France
I'M afraid my knowledge of horses stops at watching a few episodes of Black Beauty when I was a kid, but it's clear the people behind Equine Rescue France have a real passion for all things horse.
The site keeps people up to date with rescues and appeals for help, as well as news on the arrival of foals, but very importantly fund raising events to make sure the work of volunteers continues.
There are some stories of the conditions many animals were rescued from, but you can also find out about where they are now living and how they are all enjoying a much better existence.
More on: Horse rescue in France
PAST winner of the Tour de France, Stephen Roach, is to jump back on his bike to raise money for leukaemia research in next summer's London-Paris Cycle Tour.
IF you want to be a WWOOFer in France then you might want to check out the World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms website.
THE English language helpline service, 
WHEN a disaster, or war, occurs one of the first things that collapses is the information infrastructure that lets people tell family and friends that they are fine and well.
A COUPLE of new regional websites have passed through my web browser that you may find useful.
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