France/Une réserve territoriale citoyenne, to give time to your community
Would you like to get involved in your local community? To help you do just that, the government is launching a territorial citizens' reserve. Its creation is the result of a public consultation launched in November 2023 on the Agora platform. Service-Public.fr tells you more about this new civic commitment scheme.
On February 29, 2024, the French Minister for Local Government announced the creation of the Territorial Citizen Reserve, in partnership with the citizen solidarity platform L'Heure Civique.
This new scheme is designed to support citizens wishing to get involved in the life of their local community. The partnership with L'Heure Civique means that the process can be directed towards mayors and local elected representatives, by putting volunteers in direct contact with local services.
Citizens can use the platform to tell their mayor that they have time available. In this way, mayors can call on the residents who have come forward to help out with a wide range of community needs: solidarity actions, support for events, roadside assistance to help children cross the road, upkeep of green spaces, etc.
To find out more
the consultation carried out on the Agora app in November 2023 asked citizens about their aspirations for local involvement. The survey revealed that, while almost 7 out of 10 French people are not involved in serving their local community, half would like to get involved, provided that their commitment has an impact on their day-to-day life.
How do I get involved in the Territorial Citizens' Reserve?
If you want to become a volunteer, you need to register on the L'Heure Civique platform and click on the "Become a volunteer" tab.
There are 3 steps:
- "I register" (fill in the form following the step-by-step instructions).
- "I'll be contacted": your local council will contact you after receiving your form, and suggest activities in your area;
- "I take action": you can get started on the project you've chosen.
Please note
L'Heure Civique (Civic Hour) is a citizen solidarity scheme created in 2021 by the association Voisins solidaires, based on the principle of "giving an hour of your time each month for a solidarity action".
Source: www.service-public.fr/
