S'ouvrir aux autres Fondation VINCI pour la Cité

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Fondation VINCI pour la Cité: opening the door to others is another way of reaching out!

#integration

With some 1.3 million organisations and 2 million employees, France can lay claim to a dynamic network of associations across the country despite grappling with occasionally limited resources. Support from companies like VINCI is a lifeline for pursuing their initiatives. Since 2002, the Fondation VINCI pour la Cité has been lending a helping hand to the sector by offering its financial, human and material resources, such as by lending free spaces where they can run their activities and events. Joint interview with Cécile Droux (General Delegate of the Fondation VINCI pour la Cité), Benoit Orsel (HR and CSR Manager at the Stade de France - VINCI Stadium) and Priscille Dargnies (Co-Founder and Managing Director of the ENTRE programme for the Pierre Claver association).

What makes the Fondation VINCI pour la Cité so special?

Cécile Droux: Since 2002, the Fondation VINCI pour la Cité has been supporting associations leading social and professional integration initiatives for disadvantaged people. Ever since its inception, the foundation has been keen to see any willing VINCI Group employees take action on local social issues, potentially during their working hours. At the time, this model was a trailblazer. Our VINCI Solidarity platform helps network employees and partner associations across France. 

2,000

employees involved in non-profit projects

What role do employees play within the Fondation VINCI pour la Cité?  

Cécile Droux: The foundation would not be what it is today without their involvement. Many employees act as ambassadors for the associations that they are personally involved in. They also work as volunteers for organising community-based events, such as clothes and toys collections, Christmas markets, outreach rounds, and soup runs. The Group’s employees also regularly help out in associations leading activities to promote social and professional integration for many different groups (refugees, young people from disadvantaged areas, etc.), especially as mentors in educational and tutoring programmes.  

Activité avec l'association Premier de Cordée soutenue par la Fondation VINCI pour la Cité

Benoît Orsel: Over the last 10 years, the network of VINCI stadiums (VINCI Stadium) has been working alongside the Premiers de Cordée association in organising a memorable day for unwell and/or disabled children where they can take a break for a few hours from the medical and social care centres where they live. In 2024, the Group’s employees once again showed their enthusiasm as close to 170 volunteers sprang into action to make these “Escape Days” a reality.

Why does VINCI open its doors to associations?  

Cécile Droux: Associations typically open their doors to their beneficiaries, so the Fondation VINCI pour la Cité is determined to do likewise by opening the Group’s doors to them. The Group provides associations with a free venue for hosting their one-off events whatever the scale, even an auditorium or a stadium, in addition to lending them a daily space where they can welcome their employees, volunteers and beneficiaries. Permanent arrangements can also be organised, such as the “Maison Proxité” centre, which is housed at l’archipel, our head office in Nanterre. The Proxité and Pierre Claver associations use this centre to roll out their programmes to support young people from disadvantaged areas and refugees respectively. 

Opening the door to others is another way of reaching out! We want our partner associations to feel at home when they’re at VINCI’s offices.

Cécile Droux, General Delegate of the Fondation pour la Cité

Gif concernant l'accueil de bénéficiaires d'associations dans les locaux de VINCI
Classe de l'association Pierre Claver à l'archipel, siège de VINCI

Priscille Dargnies: Since 2008, the Pierre Claver association has been providing refugees with a space where they can meet up and study to facilitate their successful integration into the Paris region. VINCI immediately volunteered to test our first pilot scheme for an in-company classroom with French language and general culture lessons taught by employees at head office. The kick-off was given on 17 September 2024. Some 15 refugees, 15 VINCI mentors and 6 VINCI teachers now come together three mornings a week at the Group’s head office as part of an 18-week programme.

Des bureaux transformés en logement le soir, GIF

The Fondation VINCI pour la Cité supports the Bureaux du Cœur association, which enables people in extremely precarious situations to be temporarily housed in empty company offices in the evening and at weekends. Following the initiative of an employee-ambassador of the Fondation VINCI pour la Cité with support from her BU manager, a VINCI Energies company in Lorient provides accommodation for a person every evening and weekend in its offices

How do associations benefit from the loaned premises and equipment? 

Benoît Orsel: In 2024, the VINCI Stadium network welcomed close to 6,000 unwell and/or disabled children and their families at four major stadiums, including the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, which celebrated its 10th edition of the event, and the Matmut Atlantique stadium in Bordeaux, which hosted the event for the 5th time. These Escape Days provide the Premiers de Cordée association with an ideal opportunity to raise its profile, while developing its reach and encouraging others to get involved. 

Cécile Droux: Ever since it was designed, l’archipel has embraced this desire to open up its spaces for a wide variety of uses. By lending our premises to associations, whether occasionally for holding their events or on a recurring basis for leading their programmes, we are strengthening our commitment towards society and enabling them to ramp up their initiatives. This approach also fosters closer ties between the associations and our employees, while helping dispel any prejudices.  

The Proxité association, which helps young people from disadvantaged areas achieve greater success at school and enter the working world, has set up its base of operations in l'archipel, VINCI’s head office.

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