Dear Readers,
Amongst all the festivities I still manage to find time to reflect on the year gone by and look forward to the coming year. 2023 has been a notable year for the FBN but one touched with some sadness.
Our much loved and admired board member and Editor of the newsletter ‘Keeping in Touch’, Carolyn CHAMBERLAIN, passed away in December. She was a stalwart of the association and will be deeply missed.
On a different note, 2023 was a significant year for our President, Roger HAIGH. At a service in Windsor Castle he was appointed to be a Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE) for leading FBN services to British residents in France.
The Board of Directors has continued to meet regularly throughout the year to discuss how best to continue meeting the needs of those living and working in France and those hoping to do so. We have enquiries from all over the world including the UK, the USA and Australia.
In addition, the team have been very active in meeting the needs of our member
- Elena DJELIL has continued to provide accurate and up to date information via the email helpline.
- Our team of Service Providers have provided bespoke and practical support to many on issues dealing with tax, setting up and running a business, inheritance planning, immigration and visas.
- Thanks to the work of Simon CRERIE, we have a revamped website that is easier to navigate.
- Our events manager, Tharwat MANSOUR organised several successful social events based across the south-west of France.
- Both Sarah VINCENT and Gerald HUMPHREYS have provided business clinics for those setting up and running businesses in France.
- ‘Keeping in Touch’ has continued to provide information on important changes to living in France.
- Thanks to Roger HAIGH, Sasha SMIT-MARCADIER and Romain ROUSSEAU, the FBN received financial support from two French government bodies.
We also have great plans for 2024 and are looking forward to many more members joining our network, thanks to our presence at the London Property Show in January and increased awareness of the FBN through a new marketing campaign at Bergerac Airport.
We remain in close contact not only with several Prefectures but also the British Embassy in Paris and the Consulates in Bordeaux and Marseille. These are helping us prepare for the future to help our members with changes such as:
- British residents with French 5-year residency cards (issued as part of the Brexit Withdrawal agreement) applying for their permanent cards,
- registering and maintaining a business in France,
- immigration law
- inheritance planning
The Board of Directors and I, as well as the whole Franco British Network team, would like to wish you and your family a very healthy and prosperous 2024.
Roger HAIGH MBE
President