Charity Starts at Home: The Expats Making a Difference in France
Gillian Harvey meets the expats who run charities in France
WE OFFER A LIFELINE TO THOSE IN NEED
Former nurse Deborah Cortey moved to France from Brighton in 1980 with her French husband, Adrien, who worked in aeronautics. “At the time I didn’t speak a word of French. Initially, we lived in Geneva, on the French side. But I wasn’t particularly happy there.”
The pair moved to Bouyon on the French Riviera a few years later “and it was as if someone turned the colour back on in life. It’s more multicultural and easygoing,” says Deborah.
When Deborah’s mother died in 1982 aged 62, much of the care for her father fell to her brother and sister-in-law, Simon and Judy, in Sussex. “I’d pop over, but I wasn’t able to be very hands on.”
As she hadn’t been able to help with the care of her elderly father, Deborah wondered if there was another way to give something back. She briefly volunteered for a caring organisation and then, in 2003, set up Riviera Lifeline, an organisation that helps vulnerable elderly people living in the local community, particularly those who don’t have the skills or knowledge to access local services.
“Many come to live here from overseas in their 30s, but later in life their partner may have died, the money has run out, or they’re lonely and isolated. People fall through the loopholes. That’s when we roll our sleeves up and get stuck in.”
Riviera Lifeline provides important support to those in need, helping older people to stay in their home, have in-home support, and become part of a wider community.
This can involve anything from arranging care, covering rent, or helping with paperwork to meeting up with an isolated person for a cup of coffee. “Volunteers might help them with meals, do a little shopping or simply meet up for coffee – it all makes a difference.”
The charity also works with local authorities that can point them in the direction of someone in need. “The police and pompiers are fabulous,” says Deborah. “We get cases referred by doctors, the church, other charities and organisations.”
Deborah at the Riviera Lifeline charity HQ with volunteer Shirley Wrigglesworth
One of the highlights of Riviera Lifeline’s work for Deborah is a monthly meal they hold for members. “We provide a lunch for a €6 donation. They have a jolly good homecooked meal, wine and chat in a very nice setting, and a day out. It’s rewarding to see the happy faces when people enjoy the lunch.”
Deborah’s role in running Riviera Lifeline sometimes means working seven days a week, particularly in the winter months. But she’s found the work rewarding in more ways than one. “When Adrien died in 2024, I was able to show up and do what I’ve always done. I probably need the association as much as they need me. “Anybody can get involved in helping others. No matter what you are doing, you’re changing someone’s life for the better.” rivieralifeline.org
WE SHARE OUR GARDENS AND RAISE MONEY FOR CHARITY
When Sue and Mick Lambert bought their French house in 2004, it was with the intention of using it as a holiday home. But having spent several holidays in Creuse, they decided to make the move full time. “We loved it so much here,” explains Sue.
At the time, having run a children’s day nursery in Hampshire for 20 years, the pair were able to take early retirement, and leaving behind a six-day working week meant they were more than ready for a break. “We were only 54 and 52, so were very fortunate.”
While their new property was small, it came with a huge garden; a field of 2,600 square metres. “I decided I wanted to create a proper garden in the field, and began by digging a vegetable patch on a portion of the land. I’ve since developed it naturally into sections, including a spring garden, autumn garden, a bit of a forest, a rose garden and a memory garden for my son Tom who passed away in 2010 aged 34.”
Sue and Mick’s garden
A few years after moving, Sue started a French conversation group once a week in a local café. There, she met Lynn, a garden opener and coordinator for Open Gardens. The British-run organisation encourages members to participate in open-garden events each year, to raise money for children and young adults with serious illnesses or disabilities.
“In 2017, I decided to open our garden; I live in a small hamlet, and another resident – a Parisian – asked me if she could join in. Then a couple who own a farm in the hamlet opened their large terrace. It’s since become an annual event with people coming, exploring the gardens and sitting having refreshments.”
Sue then attended the AGM held at the mairie in Vareilles that same year, with Lynn and her husband Tim. There, she met the founder Mick Moates, who was looking for volunteers. Sue joined the conseil and was soon asked to be garden development manager – a person tasked to meet gardeners and garner more interest.
Open Garden volunteers at an afternoon tea event
And in 2023, Sue became president of the organisation, with husband Mick taking on the job of treasurer. “My job is to lead the team into the future, to continue to get more people interested and opening their gardens,” she says. “The organisation has its roots in Creuse, but is now France-wide.
“I love the conviviality of the charity and that we encourage people to garden, which is good for both physical and mental health. We raise money for such an important cause – the organisation has donated €198,000 to good causes.”
Having moved to France in order to retire, heading up a large organisation – albeit on a voluntary basis – has given Sue a rather more active life than she’d anticipated. But while she hopes to retire in a few years, she finds the work more than rewarding.
“I do work every single day, in one form or another, probably half a day particularly through the working week. But I do it because I enjoy and believe in the whole philosophy of open gardens.” opengardens.eu
HANNAH’S MEMORY LIVES ON WITH EVERY BOOK
When the Jones family moved to France in 1996 it was meant to be temporary, however, they all fell in love with the country and decided to make a permanent move. “David, who works as an electronics engineering consultant, was sent over to Quimper in Brittany to work for a year. At the time we had three children and we all loved it. We came back convinced we wanted to make France our home.”
Hannah’s family (David and Lizzie on the right)
The family finally moved out in 2004, choosing a new location in the southwest, and now with seven children in tow. “All of the children had idyllic childhoods and really thrived here,” says mum Lizzie.
However, then came a tragic accident. “Hannah [left] had been training to be a teacher. Even as a child she’d always loved books and loved reading to her younger siblings. Sadly, before she could reach her full potential, she was killed in a car crash, in July 2025, aged just 24.”
As the family came to terms with her death, they realised they wanted to do something to celebrate her life and the sort of woman she’d been. “We wanted to create a lasting legacy in her name, so Les Histoires d’Hannah was born,” says Lizzie.
Creating the non-profit association was easier than the family had expected: “We had to provide a list of founding members, which was all eight of us, and give our individual roles: president, treasurer, secretary etc. We had to hold our first general meeting and provide minutes. And we had to create a constitution.”
some of the childrens’ books bought by the charity
The association, which began life in September 2025, gives away books to children in local schools, children whose lives Hannah might have touched had things turned out differently. They hope to grow the charity’s reach further, keeping Hannah’s memory and
love of reading alive.
“I’m a glass artist and create stained and fused glass. The first day I returned to my studio after she died, I wasn’t sure I was up to doing much. But I made a little sunflower on a glass square. I thought maybe I could sell a few for the charity – and ended up selling over 300.”
Since this time, members of the family have taken different initiatives to raise money for the fund, including a Christmas carol concert, an artisans’ market and a sponsored walk, working together to support each other. “All of us are involved. Everything we’ve done, we’ve agreed on. We make sure everyone is happy.”
artist Lizzie creates stained-glass sunflowers
The first set of books was donated to the school in Le Ségur, Tarn, where Hannah was a pupil and spent some of her teacher training in May 2023. The organisation has already raised enough money to donate over 500 brand-new, specially selected books throughout the region, spreading Hannah’s message and joy in the written word to a wider audience.
“Hannah’s Stories was created so that her passion for education through reading could continue, and her memory lives on through every book offered.”
