The
reasons why you are thinking of starting up a support
group will influence how you run it. It may be that you
suffer from depression or have a serious disease like
cancer and want to create a group of people who also
suffer from depression or who have cancer so that you
can talk to others who will know how you feel. Being 'in
the same boat' often means that you are understood
without having to explain. You may be caring for someone
or may yourself be suffering from some form of dementia
or you may be living with a disabled family member. If
this is the case, you may want to create the sort of
group where people can not only share their worries and
difficulties, but can get information about practical
and financial issues.
Whatever sort of group you have in mind, the most
important things to get sorted out in France are:
Where to meet
The group could start in your own home and then
meeting venues could be shared, each group member taking
a turn at providing space and refreshments. It would be
a good idea to make enquiries about using a room in the
Mairie or hiring the salle de féte in your commune, in
case a lot of people turn up or if you expect the group
to grow. Most maires will be sympathetic to a worthy
cause and you may be able to negotiate a lower price if
payment is asked for. When you have your first meeting,
this will be the time to discuss options with members.
The legalities of meetings
France does not allow groups of people to meet
unless you form an association. To read more about this,
look at
ASSOCIATIONS.
It's probably unlikely that you will be challenged and
you don't have to form one, but it's very easy and keeps
you legally meeting in France. You need three people at
least for an association:- a president (you), a
secretary (the person who takes the names and is willing
to do the admin) and a treasurer. Unless you need to
charge a small amount for the hire of a room or at least
for coffee and tea etc., you won't actually need a
treasurer, especially as associations must be
non-profit-making, but you need to have another person
to be nominated as one. These three people must meet
once a year to make the association legal.
Have a list of ground rules
These don't have to be strict, but having ground
rules means that everyone knows the boundaries. Having
boundaries stops resentments and makes people feel
safer. Simple rules like saying that no-one should
interrupt anyone else while they are talking will avoid
a difficult situation if you have one member who
constantly talks over other people. It means that people
can relax in the knowledge that they can talk without
feeling that they will be interrupted mid-flow and that
they will be listened to.
Keep an eye on the group dynamics
It's really important to keep a close eye on the way
the group works. Once a group has been meeting for a
while, the group has a subconscious resistance to new
members and you will need to handle that carefully.
Watch for quiet members and try to include them. Some
people may not want to talk until they are more sure of
themselves and the safety of the group, so be aware of
that.
Recruit someone to take down people's details
It helps enormously if you can enlist the help of
someone who will take down everyone's names, addresses,
telephone numbers and email addresses. You can decide
meeting times and days but if there are any unavoidable
changes, you will need someone, if it isn't you, who is
organised and able to let everyone know of any changes.
Publicise
your group
You may be lucky and find that word of mouth is
enough to publicise your group, but initially, you could
advertise on websites offering free advertising like
AngloInfo and French Entreé. You could put up posters in
local Mairies and local shops. |