Perched in the Cévennes, this center for stays and holidays, property of the Salvation Army, wants to open up to the world. It organizes, Saturday, April 13, its first open days.
It is a huge building on the heights of Chamborigaud surrounded by pines and chestnut trees, and which offers a sumptuous view of the Cévennes. Born in 1958 in an old village of which a 13th century church still standing serves as a witness, the La Chausse residence center has welcomed during the last half-century the beneficiaries or members of the Salvation Army.
But recently, the international organization with Protestant roots wants, through its foundation, secular and recognized as being of public utility for its charitable actions, to give it an ambitious makeover.
Swimming pool and games for young and old
“For a long time, the center was mainly open in the summer. That is no longer enough to keep it alive”, notes Antoine Meurisse. He and his companion Sabrina Bordet have been the new managers of La Chause since the beginning of 2022. The renovation of the site had begun before their arrival, “and our desire now is to share it.”
For this, the couple saw big: redevelopment of the swimming pool and spa, creation of a media library, a sales area for local products, football and basketball courts, a children’s play area. with zip lines, a space for young people with table football, a forest of hammocks, a guinguette corner, a camping area with bungalows…
The recently renovated swimming pool also offers a spa area.
Many games are available for sunny days.
A brand new play area for children, with zip lines, has been installed.
A small climbing wall has been installed for young people.
Many facilities accompanied by entertainment: swimming lessons, archery, evenings organized on request, privatization of the entire site for weddings… All in a center with 103 beds divided between rooms and dormitories, accompanied by a kitchen, a restaurant and this, henceforth, “open all year long.”
In the patio, the couple reserves the walls to exhibit paintings by Cévennes artists.
On part of the site is a barnum, which can be used for parties or special events.
A vocation of solidarity
In addition to groups and summer camps, the center of La Chausse also welcomes individuals looking to go green at cost. The most expensive nights are around 60 € and the price decreases according to the number of people to book, or the type of room desired. Privatization, too, is intended to be attractive, with a minimum of “€1,500 per day”.
The center offers both individual rooms and collective dormitories.
The venue offers a communal kitchen and a restaurant.
The center of La Chausse also maintains the old chapel of Chamborigaud, a 13th century building still accessible
Two bungalows and a campsite are also available for enthusiasts.
Sabrina Bordet and Antoine Meurisse left the Angers region for the Cévennes in early 2022.
In addition to reviving the activity, the foundation wishes, in the long term, to organize stays for particularly poor families. “We have already welcomed refugees, to offer them a parenthesis.”
It also offers the possibility of “woofing”, i.e. stays that customers pay for with a few hours of work on site.
2023-04-19 09:35:00
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