top cx logo
cx logo
Explorearrow down
search icon
Explore
arrow down

From coffee mornings to hyperlocal website

How a local Anglophone website developed from a series of monthly meetings at a cafe

An association that began as a series of coffee mornings had the idea to create a website to keep people informed of events and useful information in the local area covering part of the Hautes-Pyrénées and the Gers.

It is called Café Matin, and it has a weekly newsletter written by Tony Pateman: “I decided to get involved after my wife and I moved here permanently seven years ago. After we managed to sell a great deal of furniture on the site in a very short period of time, we were so grateful we felt it was our moral obligation to do more to help. My wife, Carol, is the President and Len Boxall and his wife Meg are treasurer and secretary respectively and we have about 350 members, mostly British but not exclusively."

There is a coffee morning in the Café du Centre on the first Tuesday of each month - which is also market day in Maubourguet. It is helpful for new people moving into the area putting people in touch with each other and with services they might need, as well as a general informal meeting point.

The association also organises outings and has a popular Hog Roast every summer and a Christmas lunch in the winter. In addition there is the website, where as well as the newsletter there is a host of other information including classified adverts, upcoming local events and animal care/adoption.

“I am very pleased that over 80% of our membership read the newsletter every week,” said Mr Pateman. “It is useful for people to find out what is happening. We publish articles about current issues, for example Brexit where we try to represent both sides of the story. The membership is made up of people coming mainly from an area about 50km around Maubourguet.

"It is a system which works well and we are encouraged that we have a growing membership as people move into the area.”

The annual subscription for the association is €10 or €15 for recommended businesses with links from their website to the company’s own external sites. To join and receive the newsletter, contact info@cafe-matin.fr

The website is www.cafe-matin.fr

Resident or second-home owner in France?
Benefit from our daily digest of headlines and how-to's to help you make the most of life in France
By joining the newsletter, you agree to our Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy
See more popular articles
The Connexion Help Guides
featured helpguide
Income Tax in France 2023 (for 2022 income)*
Featured Help Guide
- Primarily aimed at Britons, covers pensions, rent, ISAs, shares, savings and interest - but also contains significant general information pertinent to readers of other nationalities - Overview of online declarations + step-by-step guide to the French printed forms - Includes updates given automatically after this year's site opened
Get news, views and information from France