How to … set up a French exchange

French exchanges may bring back memories of O-levels, but they aren't limited to schoolchildren. Arena Housing Association's Coops foyer in St Helen's, near Wigan, joined the cross-Channel traffic last year through an exchange with a foyer in the Loire Valley.

A twin town in France can be a natural partner for an exchange. The Coops project was suggested by the French ambassadress for Wigan's twin town of Angers. Young French people visited Wigan last summer, and the Brits paid a return visit in December.

Les visites
The basis of the French foyer is a training project, run by Angers' Association de Lire, Écrire et Compter. Last summer, 14 young people from Angers, aged 16-25, descended on Wigan. Activities included cooking and visiting Liverpool and Wigan town centres. Young people from Coops foyer took part in all the activities and made a short film on Wigan for their guests.

Then, in early December, 13 Coops service users set off for France via Dover and Calais. Four members of staff went with them – one of whom spoke fluent French. "It felt like a big risk, but everyone embraced the opportunity," says Karl Dean, manager of young people's services. The trip involved a stay at a hotel, and visits to the Chateau d'Angers, Disneyland Paris and the Le Mans 24-hour racetrack.

Andy Ward, residents' services officer for Coops, says that for staff, meeting clients in a different environment was important: "We all dressed up at night to go out and eat in Angers, providing smart clothes for people who didn't have any. It was quite something to be able to go out for a civilised meal with the young people. It created a different sort of interaction."

Les préparations
If you're set on an exchange, be prepared to put in the hours, says Dean. "It took 12 months of planning and was a massive effort on top of our day-to-day work."

Coops has 24 residents and 20 non-resident trainees. Ward says the French trip was used as an incentive, with selection based on achievement in its points-based system.

I couldn’t believe how easy it was to get funding for the exchange

Ray Howard, Coops team leader

"There was a general excitement about the opportunity because very few of our young people had left the country before," he says. "It was a little like a carrot on a stick." The clients were awarded points for working towards their personal goals, including rewards for attendance and achievement on training or work-related placements, as well as prompt rent payments and participation in foyer events.

Basic French tuition for participants was essential, says Ward, and Coops' clients were encouraged to use their new skills. Ward says: "One of our young men pressed ahead and asked for a map in a shop, in French. He felt really pleased when he was understood."

An exchange can be used as a forum for developing other skills. The Coops people recorded video diaries during their stay – a first for them – and used laptops to compile a newsletter.

Then, earlier this month, Coops organised a French cultural evening to celebrate the exchange, with trainees, residents and funders all there and talks by those who took part. The portfolio of their experience will count towards their City and Guilds-accredited Profiles of Achievement.

Le prix
The costs of the exchange came to £25,000, with Arena's tenant forum the largest donor, alongside Wigan Neighbourhood Renewal Fund and Greater Manchester Connexions. Ray Howard, team leader for Coops, says: "I couldn't believe how easy it was to get funding for the exchange, compared to other projects. It was viewed as so positive. We were even able to pay for the French party's accommodation."

No other foyer has yet attempted the same thing, says Howard. "We had to think of every last thing – down to whether people had a nut allergy, for example. But now the blueprint is there, it will be a lot easier."