British Association

of the Alpes-Maritimes & Var

Quietly getting on with the job of putting people and social needs together

The British Association of the Alpes-Maritimes & Var is a charity organisation, run entirely by volunteers and registered in France under the law of 1901.

What We Do

GENERAL: A helping hand to visitors and newcomers settling in France

With Branches in Nice, Cannes, Menton and the Var, the British Association upholds, promotes and communicates the interests of its members, their families, friends and visitors in these areas.

WELFARE: Caring for those in need of help and advice

The British Association identifies those in the community in need of assistance, visits the elderly - especially those who are housebound, in hospital, isolated and on their own and lends a helping hand to those suffering hardship or in financial distress. In addition to helping the elderly, there are increasing requests for help from younger people who are out of work and/or homeless and the handicapped - many of whom are either far from their families or have no families at all. We advise and help with their problems and with the French administration, and work closely with the local French Assistantes Sociales.

All branches are constantly on the lookout for volunteers and helpers to assist with these areas of welfare. If you are able to:

Visit someone in hospital or a retirement home
Offer to drive someone
Assist someone with shopping
Help at social functions
Or lend a hand in any other area, please contact your local branch.

SOCIAL: Lunches, dinners, outings

All branches of the British Association organise casual, informal get-togethers, functions and entertainment for members, friends and visitors of all age groups.
For up-to-date listings on events in your area, see the AngloINFO What's On guide.

FUND RAISING: Raising money for our welfare needs and where the money goes

Using Cannes as an example, during the last few months they have been able to do the following: give one-off financial help to a number of people, as diverse as supporting a couple with a child; paying for home-help and tele-alarms; paying rent; paying for passport renewal; paying subscriptions to the English-language Library for the Blind in Paris. All branches do similar work. At the request of the Consulate, clothes were bought and delivered to a British prisoner in Nice.

Donations and legacies to support our welfare work are gratefully received. Please contact the Group Chairman if you are in a position to help.

Contact details for the British Association of the Alpes-Maritimes & Var
Group Chairman	Valerie Haxton	Tel/Fax: 04 93 97 33 02	e-mail
Information/Help-line	Hugh Mitford-Raymond	Tel: 06 75 93 90 93	e-mail
Branch contact names and numbers
Cannes Secretary	Allison Horswill	Tel: 04 92 94 05 85	e-mail
Cannes Welfare	Lucilla Butler	Tel: 04 93 90 02 16
Menton Chairman	Paddy Holmes	Tel: 04 92 10 28 11
Nice Branch	John Fordyce	Tel: 04 89 92 38 90
Welfare Officer	John Fordyce	Tel: 04 89 92 38 90
Var Secretary	Clare Brown	Tel: 04 94 72 37 42	e-mail
Var Welfare	Sue Redfern	Tel: 06 43 86 49 01	e-mail
British Association Alpes-Maritimes Website		British Association of the Var Website

Membership

Membership is open to British citizens and non-British citizens who wish to support the aims of the British Association. Membership subscription covers administrative costs and printing and postage of newsletters. Please contact your local Branch representative for a membership form.

Membership fee varies between: single €12 - couple €38.

A word from the Chairman

DO COME AND JOIN US and meet interesting people, many of whom have lived all over the world. Via the various social events you will start to network and enlarge your contacts and local knowledge. If the hands-on approach is your thing - join and become a volunteer/helper - the need is there. If you enjoy the pleasures of living in this beautiful part of the world, it will add to your satisfaction of life to give something back to the community we live in.

A little history on How it All Began…

THE BRITISH ASSOCIATION WAS started in 1957, to enable a group of volunteers to carry out their welfare work - that of helping British residents and visitors to the region who were in need of financial or medical assistance.

In tandem to this, one of its prime objectives was as a protest - to put pressure on the British Foreign Office to ensure that a permanent Consular Official remained in Nice at the time the Consular Offices were moved to Marseilles.

The British Association was formed and officially registered on the 30th of November 1957 with a total of 508 enrolled members from Nice, Menton and Cannes. The Var branch was started in 1998. The executive committee is headed by the Chairman of the Association and includes the Chairmen of the branches in Menton, Nice, Cannes and the Var.

Through the years, the British Association still acts as a conduit and associated representative group to the Consular offices in Marseilles, and the Honorary Consul in Nice - quietly getting on with the job of helping British citizens in need.

Contact the British Consulate in Marseilles
Tel: 04 91 15 72 10 / Fax 04 91 37 47 06
e-mail marseilleconsular.marseille@fco.gov.uk