Massage and Complementary Therapies students enjoyed a busy but rewarding four day professional and cultural exchange with the Association Paul Guinot in France in February.

Based in Villejuif, near Paris, the Association is dedicated to supporting the social and professional inclusion of people who are blind or visually impaired. Its vocational training centre, ESRP Paul et Liliane Guinot, specialises in massage and physiotherapy training and is part of the Faculty of Medicine at Université Paris Saclay.

The trip began with a warm welcome from the French students and a representative from the University before everyone jumped straight into the professional activities.

Over the following days, our students worked alongside trainees and practitioners, taking part in workshops and even a “treatment swap”, where they exchanged massage techniques and discussed the finer points of physiotherapy.

Students exploring tactile diagrams of the anatomy
Pictured: Students exploring tactile diagrams of the anatomy

On the second day, the group met with the Director of the University, followed by a visit to the Transcription Team, who had prepared a tactile map of Paris especially for their upcoming trip into the city.

Students group around a table with members of the University's Braille Transcription Team and explore a tactiel map of Paris
Pictured: Students group around a table with members of the University's Braille Transcription Team and explore a tactiel map of Paris

The group made the most of their time in Paris, hopping on the Metro to visit the Eiffel Tower and the Musée Bourdelle, which features a tactile room for exploring sculptures.

The group stand in front of the iconic Eiffel Tower
Pictured: The group stand in front of the iconic Eiffel Tower
The group standing outside the Musée Bourdelle
Pictured: The group standing outside the Musée Bourdelle

They also embraced the local cuisine, starting with snails at Bouillon République before tucking into classic dishes like steak frites and beef bourguignon.

The RNC staff and student group sitting in the restaurant waiting to try out some French cuisine
Pictured: The RNC staff and student group sitting in the restaurant waiting to try out some French cuisine

During a visit to the Villejuif town hall, they met Nadine Pasquet, the Municipal Councillor in charge of Disability, to discuss differences in accessibility between France and the UK. She proudly highlighted the fully accessible Villejuif Gustave Roussy Metro station.

The week wrapped up with a lovely farewell party where everyone cooked together and swapped French and English phrases, followed by a final friendship breakfast.

Students having prepared aubergine and courgette ready for the meal
Pictured: Students having prepared aubergine and courgette ready for the meal

A huge thank you to everyone who helped make this trip such a success. It was a week full of new experiences, new friendships, and fantastic memories.

You can view a full gallery of photos and videos from their trip here.