Group raises funds
October 1, 2015
A group of locals, concerned for the welfare of child refugees at European borders, raised funds to transport aid items. Several vans packed with tents, clothes and toys travelled to the borders before winter. The name ‘Lake Aid’ was born: residents in the Lake Annecy area providing aid to those in need.
Change in direction
November 15, 2015
Lake Aid’s focus moved closer to home, when we learnt that families in Annecy were struggling to find permanent shelter, impacting on children of all ages. We heard about families living in car parks and other precarious places, without easy access to toilets, showers or any other home amenities.
Homework Club begins
January 4, 2016
During the first night of Homework Club, three Lake Aiders helped around 25 children aged from 4 to 14 with reading and homework. The night was a success and more volunteers began to help. Small improvements have been made along the way to ensure both kids and volunteers can achieve the best results.
First kids outing
July 20, 2016
Lake Aid arranged a beach day by Lake Annecy for 15 kids — a low-cost but fun day for the kids with beach balls and lilos for the older kids and sand castle making for the younger ones. Since then, outings have included a zipwire day in La Clusaz, a snow-fun day in Courchevel, and a secular Christmas party (in conjunction with Secours Populaire Français). A beach day in June 2017 saw attendee numbers double to 30.
Lake Aid gets official
May 8, 2017
After more than a year of finding our feet and establishing our values and goals, Lake Aid became an official Association under French law. Our grassroots approach means our board members know many of the kids we help by name: we are well placed to provide aid where needed at times when it’s needed the most.