French village rallies to renovate an old chapel for the community

A small chapel in western France is being renovated by a British-run association so it can be used by the whole community.

The project, managed by The Repair Shed in the village of La Coudre (Deux-Sèvres), has three main objectives, according to vice-president Lisa Jones.

“Firstly, it is a community project that aims to bring people together,” she said. 

“Secondly, it is to make use of the skills of local residents to renovate the chapel to a high standard. 

“Thirdly, we want to bring the chapel back to a stage where it can be used by the community, because it is dangerous to be inside right now.”

Read more: Community workshops make DIY accessible in France

Work in progress

The chapel is currently open for members of the public to visit and use, but “it has become really tired and has not really been looked after,” said Mrs Jones.

She said the roof, in particular, is in a grave state of disrepair.

“We contacted the mairie to offer to bring the chapel back up to scratch and we got permission. Because it is not a listed building, we have the opportunity to restore it without any red tape,” she said. 

On Thursdays and Saturdays during September, both English and French local residents can join in the effort of restoring the chapel. 

It will consist of fixing the roof, repairing damage to the plaster inside, making new windows, replacing the rotten door, and “a lot of cleaning”. 

Expert volunteers

If there is enough interest, the project should be completed in around a month. 

The Repair Shed has already connected with a few local retired or semi-retired UK expatriates to make use of their skills. 

“One gentleman has kindly volunteered to repair the roof. We will cover the cost of materials and he is giving his time for free,” said Mrs Jones.

“We have also commissioned a lady who makes stained glass for the windows, so we have a number of people with lots of different skills who will make sure the project is done to a very high standard.” 

Read more: How to give one hour a month to your local community in France

The exact history of the chapel is unknown, beyond the fact that it was built in 1932. The project also involves trying to identify who constructed it and the story behind it. 

Mrs Jones believes it was probably built to commemorate those who died in World War One. 

She and her husband Elf moved to the area in November 2022 and started the association after renovating their house and a barn. 

The Repair Shed helps people share practical skills via workshops, teaching and collaborations. To find out more, visit therepairshed.fr.