By Bernard Mouricout, National Communications Delegate, West Central District
The Centre-Ouest district covers 7 departments: Vendée, Poitou-Charentes (Charente, Charente-Maritime, Deux-Sèvres and Vienne) and part of Limousin (Haute-Vienne and Creuse). It stretches from east to west from the foothills of the Massif Central to the shores of the Atlantic Ocean and north of Bordeaux, south of Nantes. It has 75 Lions Clubs, 2 Leo Clubs and 1,500 Lions.
The culinary specialities of this territory exude authenticity: mouclade, brioche vendéenne, chabichou, tourteau, farci, clafouti, jonchée, grattons, fagot, pâté aux pommes, creusois, crème de marron… The productions of this territory are famous, like its oysters, its cognac, its pineau, its wines, as well as its meat.
Its history is rich, famous people have stayed there in various capacities: Aliénor d’Aquitaine, Richard Cœur de Lion, Richelieu, Samuel de Champlain, Émile Combes, Georges Clémenceau, Sadi Carnot, Pierre Bergé…
At the crossroads of artistic creation and industrial innovation, note the reputation of Limoges in terms of fire arts. It has been known since medieval times for the production of its enamels and stained glass windows. Since the 19th century, the city has gained worldwide fame for its porcelain.
District Lions are very involved in giving and fundraising in the following areas:
- environmental actions: planting large-scale trees in Bressuire, cleaning beaches, etc.
- prevention and control of diseases, such as Tulips for Cancer, diabetes screening and prevention, vision screening, telethon, Alzheimer…
- support for the disabled: Bibliothèque Sonore, collection of glasses, donation to people with mental disabilities, international wheelchair tennis tournament,
- solidarity actions: Food Bank, Vacances Plein Air, student aid, donation to the SNSM, disaster relief in La Laigne,
- socio-cultural actions: partnership with educational institutions, eloquence competitions, ethics awards, book and photo festivals, exhibitions of paintings and sculptures
- International donations to disaster victims in Ukraine, Turkey, Syria and Morocco.
Two actions are specific to the Centre-Ouest district:
The CERN Competition
In 2023, the CERN (European Nuclear Research Organisation) Competition brought together more than 200 Terminale scientifique students for physics and an essay.
The top 26 students were offered a three-day trip to visit the CERN facilities in Geneva. (photo)
The Run of Pertuis
At the end of October, in the Rochelais region, more than 400 participants make a 20 km run between the continent and Ile de Ré, supervised by a hundred Lions and volunteers. The results are intended to finance equipment for hospitalized children.
