When I agreed to become an ONLYLYON Ambassador in London, I felt a great sense of pride… but also a heavy responsibility.
For the past 20 years, through French Touch Properties, we have welcomed many people from Lyon. Moving from Croix-Rousse to Fulham, or from the 6th Arrondissement to Hampstead, is just a small step :)
The first gathering of the ONLYLYON community, held in the heart of Soho, reinforced this conviction.
Introductions quickly gave way to conversations; conversations to ideas; and ideas to projects. In just a few hours, people from Lyon—hailing from vastly different backgrounds—came together around a shared desire: to continue raising Lyon’s profile, even from London.
Finance, engineering, entrepreneurship, gastronomy, culture, education… Our paths differ, but we share the same roots.
Being an expatriate doesn’t mean leaving your city behind.
We always take a little bit of Lyon with us: the banks of the Rhône, a stroll through Parc de la Tête d’Or, the view from Fourvière, a *bouchon* in Vieux Lyon where we put the world to rights… These memories keep us connected, wherever we may be.
And then there is London.
A city that urges us to think bigger, to be bold, to open ourselves to other cultures, and to create new opportunities. Florence Chabert d’Hieres, our intercultural trainer, summed up this journey perfectly: “While Lyon gives us roots, London gives us wings. »
It is this complementarity that gives our community its strength.
I am convinced that a region’s appeal is built beyond its own borders. A chance meeting can turn into a collaboration; an introduction can open up an opportunity.
Each Ambassador contributes, in their own way, to raising Lyon’s profile on the global stage.
This inaugural evening was not an end, but a starting point—the beginning of a community eager to come together, share, support one another, and build together.
A huge thank you to the ONLYLYON teams for their trust, and especially to Lilian Renard and Candice Poitrey for their enthusiasm.
Thanks also to everyone who turned out and made this first gathering such a wonderful occasion.
✨ May the energy of London blow through Lyon… and may the spirit of Lyon continue to shine in London!
To be part of the adventure OnlyLyon, contact Ségolène Chambon
(segolene@frenchtouchproperties.com)
