at La Ménardière, seniors are reinventing community retirement

Saturday morning, in Bérat, forty kilometers southwest of Toulouse (Haute-Garonne), while she cuts leeks in the Ménardière kitchen to prepare a pot-au-feu for lunch, Anne-Marie Faucon, 78, remembers how this crazy idea came about.

“It was in 2018 during a debate at the Utopia cinema in Tournefeuille, after the screening of the film What if we all lived together? Would we passively accept the horrible fate that our time has in store for the old, or would a dream castle shelter our final battles?

This is how, between 2019 and today, 14 seniors, aged 62 to 82, transformed La Ménardière, a charming 18th century mansion, into shared housing in this village of 3,000 inhabitants.

“We wanted to take control of our lives,” explains Anne-Marie. We bought the castle for 1.1 million euros by creating “Qui vivera Bérat”, a cooperative joint stock company. We acquired an entry fee of 20,000 euros and a cooperator’s share of 70,000 euros, a sum refundable in the event of departure. Then everyone pays a fee calculated based on the private area occupied. But we realize that few people are ready to be independent at the end of their lives.”

From cooking to DIY

This was the case for Sylvie Vetter, 62 years old at the time, who was looking for affordable accommodation for her retirement. “The idea of ​​living with other people caught on.” What attracted her? This beautiful, warm residence, filled with books, CDs, magazines, which constitutes a response to isolation and solitude. It houses ten accommodations, from 25 to 60 m2, spread over two floors accessible by elevator.

The house has been carefully renovated: redone floors, new bathrooms, wood wool insulation with double glazing and insert in the living room. The decoration was carried out with taste and humor by Michel Malacarnet, 82 years old, the dean of shared accommodation. “I wanted to associate the house with its past with beautiful objects found in auction rooms. This reinforces the castle life aspect. So why not live it? We have a 2.5 hectare park here with a swimming pool,” rejoices the former founder of the Utopia independent cinema network with his partner Anne-Marie.

“The heart of our project is growing old while helping each other. For example, here, I regularly offer film screenings. But I’m bad at computers. I didn’t know how to renew my ID card online. One of the cooperators helped me. What will I become without others?

Every Saturday, the cooperators meet to deliberate on financial and cultural orientations and the projects to be carried out. “We have a few fruit trees. We are going to plant an orchard in the fall,” enthuses Sylvie. The team plans to restore the roof of the stables and open windows. Not because residents travel on horseback, but because the old stables serve as a performance hall and can accommodate around a hundred people, from May to October.

A place turned towards the outside

At La Ménardière, it is the elders who offer various events to the inhabitants of Bérat and the surrounding area. People even travel from Toulouse to attend screenings, debates, exhibitions and concerts. The programming ranges from lyrical to rock or blues, with Patrick in charge of lighting and sound. “There is a link between city and countryside,” notes Sylvie. Besides, our plan is to actually open a community café, as soon as the stables are finished, next spring.” And it’s not over… Behind the stables there is an outdoor projection area with a large screen and a henhouse for fresh eggs.

On the other wing of the estate, near the swimming pool, Éric and Brigitte, as well as Dominique and Geneviève, are talking. Each couple will build their house. “We are committed as cooperators, but want to maintain our independence from the château,” explains Éric. Bérat’s advantage is that it has a medical office, pharmacy and bakery. “We claim to be old,” emphasizes Anne-Marie. We regularly explain how to create shared housing.” In France, other senior groups are planned, such as in Bègles, in Gironde. Antenna of the citizen movement of the self-proclaimed National Council for Old Age, Ménardière represents an inspiring example for rethinking retirement.