A campsite in southern France gifts 28 flood-affected families a chance to enjoy a sun-filled break
Both the Gardon (left, pictured in Anduze) and the Aa rivers (right, pictured in Saint Omer) hace flooded in recent yearsLamax / EvaL Miko / Shutterstock
The owners of a campsite in the south of France have offered a free holiday to 28 families from the north of the country who were victims of floods this winter.
Frédéric and Olinda Amsaleg, owners of Camping le Bel Eté in Anduze (Gard) also suffered from a flood in 2020, in which they lost everything, Mrs Amsaleg told The Connexion.
That year, floods in the valleys of the Cévennes cost tens of millions in damages and led to the death of two people.
'Solidarity with other flood victims'
Remembering how traumatic that experience was, Mrs Amsaleg said: “We wanted to help and show our solidarity to the people affected by floods and this was a little way we could do that.”
They set up a draw to choose 35 families from the town of Blendecques (Pas-de-Calais) to fill up mobile homes which had not yet been booked for the summer holidays. The homes usually cost between €800 and €1,000 a week to rent.
“We had already done our business for the summer,” Mrs Amsaleg said.
In total, 28 families (140 people) made the journey south to enjoy a week of sunshine.
“I spoke to one family who told me they were able to forget about the situation at home and just enjoy themselves. They did not want to go back,” Mrs Amsaleg said.
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'A fantastic gesture'
The families made the most of the campsite’s facilities, which include a swimming pool and waterslides, and took part in activities such as bingo night.
Frédéric, a father whose home was devastated by floods, told local media: “It feels good, it cheers you up. With the state of the house, going on holiday this year was out of the question. It is a fantastic gesture.”
