The work volunteer helpers undertake generally falls into the following categories (for more information, please see our website):
Rolling: Helping people to move from the Accueil or hotels to the services of the pilgrimage or to shops, cafes etc. Usually this involves pushing wheelchairs.
Accueil Care: Caring for the guests in the Accueil e.g. helping them to wash and dress, making beds, cleaning their rooms and bathrooms and providing companionship.
Other Accueil duties: Which include helping in the Dining Room (not cooking, but serving food and assisting APs with eating where necessary), the vital job of working in the kitchen to serve drinks to our APs, helping in the laundry, and working on the Accueil cleaning team.
Ceremonies: Working in each of the services. Those who undertake this duty are usually very experienced helpers who know Lourdes well, but all are welcome to this duty.
Marshalling: Directing processions and other areas. Those who undertake this duty are usually very experienced helpers who know Lourdes well, but all are welcome to this duty.
Hotels: Working in the hotels team managing the service to our hotel APs.
Piscines: Recommended for experienced volunteer helpers only. This may be combined part-time with other duties in some circumstances, but we are also looking for full-time helpers (male and female). This is an important service we offer as a Pilgrimage.
HCP: Working with the Helpers' Children's Programme. They have a preference for people who have come with the CA as a helper at least once before and who have experience of childcare/teaching/youth groups.
Music Group: Providing music at our masses and services. It is possible to combine this with other duties.
We will do our best to allocate you to your preferred role, but please note that you may be allocated to a different duty. Although we try to place everyone in their first choice of team, we cannot guarantee this and volunteers may have to undertake duties they have not selected as their first choice.