xavier

France

Introduction

Through art, the limits of disease explode and the human being can be transcended, even if he is sick…. “Fragments de mémoire” is a unique artistic concept consisting of the co-creation of a theatrical performance and a photographic exhibition raising awareness of the topic of neurodegenerative diseases, and allowing us to bring another perspective on these diseases, and mental health issues in general. This collaborative artistic composition was created by directly integrating patients, their relatives and caregivers. They were guided and mentored by: -a theater troupe whose specialty is to cross universes, and to explore artistic research areas -and a photographer who has turned his attention to making portraits, and whose objective is to bring out the singularity and other reality of his characters. This project gave rise to a collective play “Tomorrow, I Forgot” performed three times in 2019, on the territory of the LAG Pays Sud Toulousain and in the Toulouse agglomeration, by artists, the sick, their carers and their relatives, which then gave rise to debates; and to a dreamlike photographic exhibition “Mønsonge” which is still shooting all over France

Presentation of the project

The SIVOM des Plaines et Coteaux du Volvestre is a structure that enables certain services, including home help for elderly, disabled or dependent people, to be pooled between several municipalities located on the LAG of the Pays Sud Toulousain. In this capacity, SIVOM manages in particular the Halte-Répit de Rieux-Volvestre, a day-care space for family caregivers of patients suffering from neuroprogressive diseases. In the framework of the project “Fragments of memory”, SIVOM wanted to highlight people with Alzheimer’s and related disorders (Parkinson’s, Dementia with Lewy Bodies (DCL), Charcot…), with the help of artists. Thus, the Compagnie Théâtre Extensible co-wrote and co-performed the show “Tomorrow, I Forgot” with the sick, their relatives and the health teams who attended the Halte-Répit. For the actors, it took a long work of listening, of exchanges, to reassure, to transcribe the feelings, the attitudes, the suffering and the anxieties. Then, it was necessary to accompany the patients in the staging: to accept to be watched, touched, to wander in space, to work on the imagination, to improvise verbal allowances… It was also necessary to deal with the vagaries of the disease: inability of some to no longer participate in the adventure, possible deaths… Between January and June 2019, at the rate of 2 weekly working sessions, the actors and the “apprentice actors” developed this show together. The latter will have been played 3 times: on 16 June 2019 in Fousseret, on 30 June 2019 in Rieux-Volvestre and on 11 December 2019 in Roques-sur-Garonne and was the subject of debates following the performance. Also, caregivers, carers, caregivers, children, spouses, professionals, volunteers… of the Volvestre Break Stop, the EHPAD of the Orée du Bois and the SSIAD (Home Care Nursing Services) inspired photographer Vladimir Vasilev for the creation of a series of dreamlike photographs, gathered around the exhibition “Mønsonge”. In this way, the artist has chosen to show the other side of the mirror, to highlight what is not seen, to highlight the ambiguity between reality and fiction. Disorder is sown between what is real and what emerges from the illusion, between reason and madness. This exhibition accompanied each performance of the show “Tomorrow, I Forgot”, and has since been touring independently throughout France. The LEADER program has thus contributed financially to both facets of the project, namely the production of the play “Tomorrow, I Forgot”, but also the creation of the series of dreamlike photos highlighting the various protagonists around the disease. The Fragments de mémoire project made it possible to show the capacities of these people, who are not only sick; it also made it possible to break down the prejudices, the law of silence that reign around dementias and which contribute to the isolation of the sick and their families.

The emblematic character of the project

The 2018 project “Fragments de Mémoire” can be considered cutting-edge. At that time, mental health was a little discussed, especially in the territory of the LAG Pays Sud Toulousain. Yet many people were already directly or indirectly affected by multiple pathologies that needed to be treated, supported. For example, in the LEADER 2014-2022 program, this project was integrated into the Fiche-Action entitled “Fostering the social link and the upscaling of the cultural offer” and was therefore able to benefit from the EAFRD fund through the cultural entry. To date, however, this project has resonated all the more since mental health has now become a priority theme in the territory. A Local Mental Health Contract (CLSM) is being drafted throughout the South Toulouse country. Many concerns have also been expressed by the structures that accompany this issue, which until now has been little considered and remains the poor relation of the health theme. The new programming for 2023-2027 now takes into account the challenges of managing mental health, but also the well-being of caregivers, whether they are professionals or family members. Therefore, if it had been presented to the LEADER program 2013-2027, this project would have met the objective of “Prevention around health and well-being in everyday life”, which therefore becomes a priority in itself. This project is replicable by many LAGs because it aims to create mental health awareness actions by involving the people most affected, namely the patients themselves, their relatives and the medico-social actors who accompany them. The animation of these actions can be entrusted to cultural or event operators to bring all the more impacts and diversity of approaches to address this subject, which is, after all, delicate and still taboo.

Pictures

SIVOM des Plaines et Coteaux du Volvestre

GAL Pays Sud Toulousain

Occitanie

France

Introduction

Rehabilitate a rural station to make it a social, versatile and unifying place of culture that brings together audiences of all backgrounds. Renovating the old building so as not to lose it, being at the forefront of an economic and artistic project that aims to reconquer rural spaces, this is the ambition of a small commune of Morvan.

Presentation of the project

The “Avant gare” is located in Anost, Saône and Loire commune of 728 inhabitants in the Morvan Regional Nature Park. The building was used as a train station when the old tacot line, linking Autun to Château-Chinon, was still operating. What can we do with this building, which can no longer return to its former function? This historic building was for a long time a cafe-restaurant that welcomed the people of passage and the inhabitants of the commune. Today, the station in Vaumignon needs to be modernized and reinvented so that it can once again become a place of meeting, social connection and local animation. The municipality then launches a call for proposals.

The aim is to transform the entire space through a public-private partnership, creating jobs and economic activity for locals and tourists alike.

In 2021, the project of 2 candidates is selected. A bar-restaurant, a pop-up shop, a creative workshop and a music studio. Attractive commercial services that will favor short circuits and local craftsmen-producers, in the form of a SARL, but also an association of a cultural and educational nature to federate the inhabitants, small and large, around the project. The Vaumignon station will also offer electric bicycle rental because it is located on a green axis laid out by the community of municipalities, linking the central canal to the Nivernais canal.

The municipality is carrying out the work in order to improve the energy performance of this former station using natural materials and ecological systems. For the reception of the public, the building must be redesigned to allow safety and accessibility for all, but also to be able to operate all the activities of the future structure.

The emblematic character of the project

The local action group Leader Morvan for the period 2014-2022 aimed to support initiatives and act on potential activities. The action implemented for this project is based on two levers, one of which is the provision of activities and structuring, thereby contributing to the attractiveness and retention of the rural workforce. The offer of services in Morvan tended to decrease because it did not have the means to modernize, to innovate. Financial risk-taking in rural areas seemed to be a major obstacle for entrepreneurs. The financial support of the community met the requirement of both organizational and economic innovation of the Leader strategy of the Morvan territory. Indeed, the idea of the call for projects of the municipality is a real tool of public-private collaborative approach. The project of the successful candidates had an undeniable social and cultural dimension without, however, neglecting a commercial vocation, aimed at the sustainability of the activity, the creation of jobs in the territory. By carrying out a business plan to respond to the call for projects, the future tenants of the site modeled their project, making it transferable to other rural territories.

The architecture of the building itself is intended to be innovative: to preserve the rural station aspect, to blend into the landscape, while offering a modern structure and habitat, meeting the challenge of transition.

Pictures

Commune d’ANOST

MORVAN

BOURGOGNE-FRANCHE-COMTE

France

Introduction

Mapping in relief helps to improve knowledge of the wine-growing region. On the other hand, it is a real communication tool for amateurs and the general public. It is an educational resource for winegrowers and wines of a designation and territory. In 2017, for example, the Groupement de Développement Viticulle de la Sarthe (GDVS) took over the technology for the Coteaux du Loir and Jasnières designations. The 3-D mapping of the sites is multi-purpose:

· Professionals for vine cultivation and marketing

· Tourists and inhabitants for the valorization of landscaped and heritage land (agri-landscape) and the improvement of the living environment It offers several variations: panoramic and confidential maps, tourist leaflets, evolution towards a smartphone application and potential addition of descriptive data of terroirs and vintages.

Presentation of the project

This three-dimensional mapping project of the vineyards and sites of the Coteaux du Loir and Jasnières AOC covers part of the Loir Valley (department of Sarthe in Pays de la Loire region) and part of the Indre et Loire region in Center Val de Loire region. The proration key was set at 85.21% for the Loir Valley territory. It is carried by the Groupement de Développement Viticulle de la Sarthe. The first objective is to give meaning to the vineyard by assessing the slopes, in particular the exposure of the slopes. With relief and perspective, perceptions are close to reality. The mapping information is thus accurate, reliable and entirely dedicated to the quality of terroirs and wines. The second objective is to develop wine-tourism activity in the territory, in particular through the Vineyard and Discovery label for the reception of groups, visits to cellars and other communication actions in the territory. However, the specificity of these places, known as the wines produced from these places, is not highlighted in isolation from the other tourist attractions of the wine-growing area, such as castles and manors or hiking and biking tours. The 3D tool opens up a new space for vintners to express themselves. The aim is to tell the story of the vineyard, its territory, the wines and the actors of this vineyard. The LEADER funding supported the application to the Conseil départemental de la Sarthe, another project funder.

Emblematic character of the project

The project responds to the framework of our Action Sheet n°1: Strengthening the face-to-face economy of the Loir Valley and the AGIR approach for the South Sarthe. It enables producers in the Vallée du Loir vineyard to be equipped with 2D/3D mapping. They work on the quality of the terroirs and wines of the two appellations Coteaux du Loir and Jasnières in the context of their professional activity. On the other hand, the use of folded-map maps for tourist offices offers a development of economic activity linked to one of the main themes of the Loir Valley: wine tourism. At the strategic level, the Architectural and Landscape Charter of the Pays Vallée du Loir published in October 2013 integrates the accompaniment and preservation of wine-growing practice (fact sheet n°16) on axis n°2- Accompany a agriculture participating positively in the living environment. “The clearly affirmed image of agricultural identity is one of the major challenges of the Pays Vallée du Loir…. The vineyards of the Loir Valley enjoy 2 AOCs (Jasnières and Coteaux-du-Loir). It remains representative of a practice with a high tourist and wine value. It is also associated with the heritage elements that are the winegrowers’ houses and cellars. In a way, we can speak here of agri-landscape, by the visual impact that the grape variety lines produce and by the serenity that emerges from these landscapes “manufactured” by the vineyard.”

https://pays-valleeduloir.fr/fileadmin/Ressources/Document_cadre/Charte_Architecturale_Axe2.pdf

The obtaining of the Vignobles et Découverte ® label demonstrates the desire to be involved in the development of tourism related to wine. It is awarded by Atout France, following a recommendation from the Conseil Supérieur de l’OEnotourisme. Transferring to other LAGs is simple: 3-D mapping of specific areas for professional use, cross-referencing with other available or to be created maps for tourism use.

Pictures

https://www.vallee-du-loir.com/app/uploads/valleeduloir/2021/11/la-carte-du-vignoble-jasnieres-et-coteaux-du-loir.pdf

Groupement de Développement Viticole de la Sarthe

GAL PAYS VALLEE DU LOIR

PAYS DE LA LOIRE

France

Introduction

Faced with an underdevelopment of maritime pine established in Cévennes from the 19th century onwards, a collective carried out an experimental study aimed at creating a new sector for the extraction of resin by gemmage. This sector would make it possible to relocate the manufacture of products with multiple uses (green chemistry, thermal care) and in demand in the territory.

Presentation of the project

Although financially supported by the syndicate of Pays Cévennes, this project is the result of a true collective dynamic bringing together forest owners, forest managers, entrepreneurs, researchers, bearers and animators of the forestry charter, all lovers of Cévennes and wishing to work for a living territory. Straddling the Gard, the Lozère and the south Ardèche, the Cévennes are characterized by over 60% forest cover, a large part of which is populated by maritime pines (over 36,000 ha). This pine has spread without proper forest management. Currently converted into wood energy and pulp, or at best into a wood pallet, it is underutilized and many plots are difficult to access. In addition, we use within France products made from pine resin, such as turpentine essential oil and rosin, which are produced abroad (Spain, Portugal, China, Brazil, Indonesia) for industrial, pharmaceutical or cosmetic uses. Locally, the Fumades spa uses essential oil for thermal treatments and is asking to relocate its supplies. There is therefore an opportunity to create a local pine resin extraction and processing industry, known as gem, for use in the territory. Sewing is an activity already present on the Landes massif. Although it is competing with foreign production, it is maintaining itself and, above all, offering an extraction that respects the environment (delaying ecological healing). Cooperation between the Landes and Cévennes territories was therefore established to carry out a technical and economic study on the development of the sector. The objective of the study was to: – Evaluate the areas available for resin harvesting – Evaluate the quantities that can be extracted on the territory – Evaluate the costs of harvesting and distillation – Compare economically different distillation techniques – Target potential actors (harvesters/processors/users) to sustain the sector – Provide a viable economic model A harvesting campaign was organized on two sites of a municipality of the Gardoise (Le Chambon) in 2022. The harvesting days helped train future harvesters, thanks to the know-how of a Dutch company that has developed a fully environmentally friendly shedding technique. The resin collected was analyzed by a research laboratory at INRAE and the University of Montpellier. A study office commissioned to carry out the economic study carried out a mapping of the areas that could be exploited (according to the terrain, the diameter of the trees, access), estimated the production volumes, identified the best distillation techniques (quality of the finished product, level of equipment), targeted and analyzed part of the market sectors, operating costs, gross margin. The economic opportunity of this sector has been validated and the key future players identified.

Emblematic character of the project

The Cévennes LAG supports economic activity linked to its local resources with three priority objectives: creating jobs and know-how in the area, preserving resources and reducing the general environmental impact by relocating production (foreign production, transport). This project for the creation of a pine slag sector perfectly meets the LAG’s strategy with: – the use of a local resource, – the acquisition of new working techniques, – the manufacture of high-value-added products, – environmentally-friendly extraction (delayed eco-certified healing, no overexploitation) – the relocation of the manufacture of products already used in the area The Cévennes LAG prioritizes projects involving a network of stakeholders. The project brought together more than 30 stakeholders: Public authorities and institutions; trade unions, associations, cooperatives and companies in the wood sector; research centers and universities; thermal care and cosmetics manufacturing companies; consultancy and funders. The partnership dynamic developed over the course of the project and brought new ideas or similar projects to light in other areas. In addition to the contribution of new know-how and new economic activity in the territory, this project brings several technical innovations: – The work of transmission from the Landes company to the Cevennes players allows a deepening of the harvesting technique, – The design office has created a spreadsheet estimating the costs of production and distillation of the gem that can be modulated according to different parameters, which is unprecedented in France. There is no comparable tool around the resin at this time.

Pictures

Association Abreuvoir Général

GAL Cévennes

Occitanie

France

Introduction

The Abreuvoir General is a place where people can enjoy meeting, connecting, sharing, learning and culture. It is a Third Rural Place where ideas are developed, training and synergies are created in other ways! Claire and Jean-Christophe created this third rural place dedicated to professionals, young people and ecotourism, in 2021. The setting up of a women entrepreneurs’ café, the hosting of seminars, training courses, the organization of breakfasts and afterworks have allowed professionals from the territory to meet, exchange and develop their skills. This project has helped to develop social, economic and cultural links, has promoted access to employment and training, and has contributed to opening up culture for all.

Presentation of the projet

L’Abreuvoir Général is located in Avèze, in the Gard, a village of just over 1000 inhabitants, 3 km from the town center of Vigan, a town of 3700 inhabitants, once known for its silk mills. Housed in an old building in the heart of the village of Avèze, this venue offers both local and local residents and visitors rooms for weekly meetings, training or meetings, rental workspaces and a co-living service. Accommodation is provided for workers who wish to stay on site. Thus four rooms of different capacities are offered, a dormitory and a common area with kitchen and dining room. This place can also be open to tourists seeking conscious and alternative tourism. For a more classic tourist activity, Claire and Jean-Christophe offer an independent cottage (excluding LEADER project). The Abreuvoir Général is a place open to the territory and to all citizens’ initiatives. The hybrid structure of the project allows for solutions tailored to social and environmental needs. The shared workspaces (Coworking / Coliving) are intended for professionals from the territory and outside the territory, companies, employees teleworkers and in particular single-person (self-employed) companies in connection with the Coopératives d’activities et d’emploi. Students are also welcomed here, knowing that there has been a “Connected Campus” facility in Vigan since 2020. Additional services are dedicated to them: residency, accompaniment, training, mentoring with professionals.

The offers of room provision are addressed to associations and companies of the territory and outside the territory (professionals in demand of green work), but also for hosting seminars, immersion courses… The digital mediation spaces (training / workshops) are aimed at school children, adolescents and young adults who are dropping out of school and lack the structures adapted to their needs in the territory. The project evolves and is built around a very rich ecosystem, whether it be around public or private actors. The Caf’tiers, which invites you to enjoy a coffee or a local product (fruit juice, honey pot…), has become a place of exchange for Wednesday afternoons. In 2023, a film workshop was offered to teenagers aged 12 to 18 to learn how to write and make a short film over a 5-day period during the school holidays. Team cohesion seminars were offered throughout the year. The main objectives were, among others, to develop confidence, to get to know the personality, strengths and potentials of each, to better manage his time. LEADER funding was used for site development (acoustic panels, heating, lockers, LED lighting, etc.) and a start-up animation service. The LEADER support helped to strengthen the local networking of this project, which had initially been followed by the social and environmental innovation incubator, Alter’incub in Montpellier. When the project was set up, the LEADER team informed the project owner of the AIDIE facility for a cash advance, which was an important element in the realization of the project.

The emblematic character of the project

This project fully meets the rural development and innovation objectives of the LEADER program. Innovation is social and includes respect for the environment. This place offers atypical services in rural areas: who would have thought to find such a service in the small municipality of Avèze? The general watering trough was able to respond to the challenges of the territory at a time when urban residents were seeking to settle in rural areas. This place gives them the opportunity to stay (for work or leisure), share professional experiences and build skills. Claire and Jean-Christophe set the tone: here, we respect the environment, we do not waste, we favor local producers, we reuse old furniture, we fit an old building in the heart of a village … with taste! Though rural areas have long suffered from a loss of population and dynamism, today they can be developed and revitalized with the advent of the Internet and digital technology. These major societal changes provide favorable conditions for new and hybrid activity carried out by third parties, such as the general watering trough. The general watering trough promotes exchanges, cooperation and the development of activities at the service of the territory and professionals. It is an intergenerational and inclusive place, economic and entrepreneurial, innovative and collaborative. A lively and cultural place! The Abreuvoir Général is also a playground and a space for experimentation. L’Abreuvoir has already welcomed other third-party locations that want to develop the same axes in other territories.

Pictures

Association Abreuvoir Général

GAL Cévennes

Occitanie

France

Introduction

The strategy of the GAL Pithiverais & Gâtinais for the 2014-2022 program aimed to establish itself as a natural and cultural tourism territory between the Île-de-France and the Loire Valley. At the heart of local tourism offerings, the lack of facilities and services allowing universal accessibility quickly became an intolerable and significant barrier. This is a major societal challenge, however, since disability, whether visible or invisible, permanent or temporary, prevents all forms of inclusion. But “barrier-free” tourism will benefit everyone, locals and visitors alike, not just people with disabilities or reduced independence. It also makes it possible to envisage tourism development with a high economic potential, and with a highly differentiating character, through the positive image conveyed. This is the conclusion we have reached collectively, at the end of a three-year transnational LEADER cooperation project with our five Spanish and Portuguese partners. “Holiday without a barrier” has become for us a noble approach, and we are committed to pursuing it!

Presentation of the project

Transnational cooperation brought together six LAGs: three in Portugal, two in Spain and one in France. The strategy of the GAL Pithiverais & Gâtinais was, for the 2014-2022 program, focused on the development of tourism in the territory. Cooperation was aimed at improving the universal accessibility of the territory so that all inhabitants and tourists could benefit from facilitated access conditions. The objective was to develop, mainly through the capitalization of knowledge and the exchange of good practices, “barrier-free tourism” in the partner territories by promoting accessibility both in terms of signage and in the capacity to receive any public, whatever their situation. For the French territory (two PETRs constituting the LAG), the awareness-raising axes were divided into five actions. 1. Published a comic strip “Holidays without Barriers”, in collaboration with the cartoonist Bernadette Despres, famous for the “Adventures of Tom-Tom and Nana” and resident of our LAG territory. This comic has been created, translated into all three languages and is distributed free of charge. 2. Adaptation of a Portuguese play that becomes “Who Wants to Win Inclusion?” and its broadcast on the two LAG PETRs, in the presence of people with disabilities. 3. Production of a video to show the work done during the three-year cooperation project. 4. Training measures for members of the tourism sector in LAG territory. These training courses, provided by persons with disabilities, were designed to raise awareness among professionals of the issues faced by persons with disabilities, whether visible or invisible, through immersive experiences. 5. Organization of an international symposium, which closed the cooperation. In the morning, representatives of the three countries presented the common challenges, solutions and good practices to make the sites accessible to all. In the afternoon, disability workshops were offered by trainers who were themselves concerned with a limitation of one of the four types of disability (blindness, deafness, mental or physical) in question.

The objectives of capitalizing knowledge have been achieved through the various actions. Through peer-to-peer discussion and experimentation in pioneering places on the subject, it was possible to share good practices in order to export them to others. The LEADER funding (French territories) amounted to €30,370.67. This allocation made it possible to finance the expenditure necessary for the implementation of the cooperation project, primarily travel within each of the territories. Without these technical visits, upstream of the actions and during the program, the cooperation actors would not have been able to experiment on their own with the equipment allowing better accessibility. The impact on their ability to mobilize on our territory would not have been the same. Participants in these various actions have become local drivers in adapting the territory to make it universally accessible.

The emblematic character of the project

The collective consideration of tourism and disability was never addressed until the implementation of the “Accessible Tourism” cooperation project. In itself, this is already a first territorial innovation! Another innovation factor is the scale of implementation of actions: that of a territory. First challenge: today, tourism stakeholders are rethinking themselves and thinking about accessibility and disability ahead of the projects they carry out. It is this paradigm shift that is another emblematic element of this action. This is accompanied by a change in practice and vocabulary. From now on, the concept of ‘use’ is predominant over that of ‘regulation’. This is initiating social and societal change so that accessibility becomes the norm and not the exception. The project is also emblematic, because we are the only LAG in the Center-Val de Loire region to have achieved transnational cooperation! The transferability of this project can be achieved by capitalizing on the co-development process of the project, the deliverables that have been created (comic strip, play, training cycle, conference and video). Convinced of the decisive nature of our action, the actors are already considering other tools that could be put in place without cooperation, such as a guide to legislation on accessibility (what simple and inexpensive means to achieve to be in compliance with the law while ensuring that the tools are actually usable by the people to whom they are dedicated?), the provision of digital tools (3D, Braille printer…) with partners of the circular economy, the recruitment of a PhD student… If we had not taken this “step aside” with foreign territories, we would have limited ourselves to the usual practice with regard to the circular economy French legislation.

Pictures

PETR Beauce Gâtinais en Pithiverais

Pithiverais & Gâtinais

Centre-Val de Loire

France

Introduction

The project consisted of funding 3 actions

1) The creation of a 100m2 collective passive room using bio-sourced materials

2) The creation of “La Fresque du climat” (a tool based on data from the IPCC’s scientific reports, whose recommendations guide political and economic decisions on a global scale)

3) The organisation of free events focusing on ecological transition, thinking about changing lifestyles and raising awareness of eco-responsible actions. These activities were and are aimed at schools and the general public (French and/or foreign visitors who come to stay at the campsite and/or take part in events hosted in the passive room).

In conclusion, the aim of this project was to raise awareness of new eco-responsible actions and to discuss the obstacles encountered, the improvements made and the positive impacts.

Presentation of the project

Location The Fontaine du Hallate campsite is located in the commune of Plougoumelen, in Morbihan, on a 3-hectare site open to the public. It’s a place where anyone can come and stroll freely to buy products from local producers or to discover biodiversity with its butterfly trees, bats, beehives and numerous species, or to understand the workings of a vegetable garden that respects the principles of agro-ecology and permaculture. Background The school bases its activities on ecological and environmental conservation values (rainwater recovery for sanitary facilities, preservation of biodiversity, collective composting, supply of vegetables to the catering area mainly produced on site thanks to the kitchen garden, etc.). As a result of its commitment to the environment, the campsite has joined nature conservation networks and is now recognised as a guarantor of respect for the environment. As a result of this commitment, it was the 1st campsite in the world to be awarded “Green Globe” certification in 2012. This international certification is awarded on the basis of 44 groups of criteria and 380 sustainable development indicators – to co-found “Green Morbihan” in 2018 – to obtain labels such as “Ecolabel Européen” (since 2010), the “biorismo” label (promoting biodiversity) and “La clef verte” (since 2009) – to be classified as a “bat sanctuary”, “butterfly garden” and “Jardin de Noé” (garden dedicated to biodiversity). In view of the above, the establishment takes part in national meetings on eco-responsible practices to raise awareness among citizens and holidaymakers of the acceleration of ecological transitions, the importance of the circular economy and the need to reduce our carbon footprint. Due to a lack of covered space, these meetings cannot take place on this site, whose commitment is recognised by environmental protection networks. Locals and Bretons generally have to travel to the capital or the south of France. Objectives The project involved co-financing a 100m2 collective passive space within a new 310m2 passive building. Aimed at schoolchildren and the general public, the aim was to organise events related to passive construction, meetings, workshops on eco-responsible actions and on-site visits to good practice. La Fresque du climat”, a neutral tool based on data from the IPCC’s scientific reports, whose recommendations guide political and economic decisions on a global scale, was also co-funded. The objectives of such a project are currently : – Organise actions to promote sustainable development – Continue to run well-being activities (yoga, reflexology, shiatsu, etc. To continue to run wellbeing activities (yoga, reflexology, shiatsu, etc.) and events linked to ecological transitions during periods of bad weather – To run actions on transitions in a venue that is consistent with transitions (positive energy venue) Actual or expected achievements – Events linked to the acceleration of ecological transitions – To become a benchmark venue in environmental matters that welcomes all types of public (local, Develop partnerships with networks in the fields of ecology, medico-social and education, among others LEADER’s role in the project (funding, support, networking, etc.). The LEADER team supported the project leader in: – avoiding expenditure perceived as commercial (wellness activities, room hire and resale of the electricity produced by the solar panels) – structuring a schedule of free events geared towards ecological transition – highlighting the local interest of such a reference point for ecological transition – seeking joint eligible expenditure with a public co-funder – drawing up 2 budgets: an initial budget based on actual project expenditure (€469,888.42) and another stipulating LEADER-eligible expenditure (€91,481).

The emblematic character of the project

Innovative nature of the project Linking theory to practice by demonstrating eco-responsible actions on site. Because of the project owner’s ecological commitment to its 3 hectares of land and its economic activity, the holding of events linked to the preservation of nature has a positive impact by demonstrating good practices at the end of the meetings. These actions are given greater resonance by being hosted in a passive space that respects resources and their reuse. Why is this project a LEADER priority in your strategy? The operation supported – promoting social links in a healthy environment (natural spaces open to all; hosting local events, local producers’ market, organic vegetable garden supplied by all, etc.) – forges partnerships between public players, associations and businesses. The project leader has shown that the boundaries between the public and private spheres are porous when it comes to working to preserve our planet. Partnerships have been created with both public players – such as local authorities, educational areas and the Regional Nature Park – and private players such as companies and associations. The latter focus on ecology, the circular economy, waste management, the social economy and/or the medico-social sector. – Bringing together local, French and European players to think collectively about what needs to be done in terms of sustainable development, and not just in relation to sustainable tourism – Mobilising local people in support of eco-citizen projects in rural areas. Without any major change, human activities are accelerating climate change and undermining certain local balances. It is important to raise awareness so that production and consumption patterns converge towards cycles and lifestyles with a smaller ecological and climate footprint. – Responding to European and national directives on ecological and energy transition (European Union Green Pact, December 2019; Climate and Resilience Act, June 2021; “France 2030” investment plan, October 2021). The building sector is notoriously energy-intensive. To reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 40% by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, the use of bio-sourced materials and old, revisited or recycled materials must be stepped up, especially as the region has resources and know-how that deserve to be developed. These are just some of the reasons why the LEADER programme was supported. How could the project be transferred to other LAGs? By setting up cooperation between LAGs or holding meetings at the Fontaine du Hallate campsite..

Pictures

Camping de la Fontaine du Hallate

L’Entente du Pays de Vannes

Bretagne

French Guiana

Introduction

Making mobility accessible and overcoming the barriers of isolation – Auto-École Sociale Nomade turns the challenges of Guyana’s isolated regions into opportunities. Faced with remoteness and the limited development of transport, these communities find the driving licence a ‘sesame’ towards social integration and employment. Our innovative project ‘goes to’ the student, bringing the learning of the Highway Code and driving to the heart of remote areas. In our specially equipped lorry, fitted with a driving simulator, we offer much more than lessons: we build self-esteem and confidence, the keys to success. Working in partnership with social workers, we identify and address the obstacles to professional integration. The Auto-École Sociale Nomade is more than a driving school: it’s a bridge to autonomy for the people of Matoury and Roura in French Guiana, with the potential to inspire and adapt to other isolated regions across Europe.

Presentation of the project

The European LEADER programme plays a fundamental role in funding initiatives aimed at facilitating social and professional integration in isolated areas where transport is limited. The association, aware of the challenges posed by the lack of a driving licence, has set up a mobile scheme. Using a specially-equipped vehicle with a driving simulator and an area dedicated to learning the Highway Code, lessons are given right in the heart of remote communities. Launched in April 2021, this project is aimed in particular at people on the margins of the labour market, such as jobseekers, young people outside the school system, students in precarious situations, RSA recipients, apprentices and those with learning difficulties. By focusing on training for a driving licence and raising awareness of road safety, the aim is twofold: on the one hand, to encourage social and professional integration, and on the other, to combat the exclusion of vulnerable people by strengthening their independence and mobility, which are key factors in access to employment and training. LEADER’s financial support has already borne fruit: in the communes of Matoury and Roura, 35 candidates from rural areas have been supported, with 12 of them successfully obtaining their driving licences and actively seeking stable employment or training leading to qualifications. On the strength of this success, the project leaders are planning to extend their action to other communes in 2024, thus affirming LEADER’s role as a catalyst for regional development and social inclusion.

Emblematic character of the project

This project is a priority for LEADER because it directly addresses the problems of mobility and insecurity that are prevalent in French Guiana, two issues that are holding back the region’s social and economic development. By fitting in with the Agglo’GAL strategy under the objective “Development of an endogenous and territorialised social and solidarity-based economy”, the project meets a fundamental need: access to mobility to promote professional integration and access to education. The major challenge to which the project responds is therefore twofold: on the one hand, it tackles the geographical isolation of populations by providing them with the necessary means to get around, and on the other, it works against economic marginalisation by offering young people and adults the tools to acquire professional autonomy. Obtaining a driving licence is an undeniable asset for accessing the job market and training courses leading to qualifications, which are mainly concentrated in the towns. In addition, the project illustrates a collaborative and inclusive approach, working in partnership with local organisations such as Pôle Emploi and relying on a 1901 law association. This collective working method strengthens the local social and economic fabric and contributes to a shared development dynamic. As for the transferability of the project to other Local Action Groups, the success of this model in French Guyana is a testament to its adaptability. The Agglo’GAL unit, in conjunction with the association, is ready to share its experience and good practice. Setting up this project requires an understanding of the specific local challenges and tailor-made adaptations. However, the principle of the itinerant social driving school can be applied in other contexts where rural mobility issues are hampering socio-economic development. By sharing the tools, methods and lessons learned, the project can inspire and guide other areas to implement similar solutions adapted to their own challenges.

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Auto Ecole Sociale Nomade

Agglo’GAL

Guyane Française

Croatia

Introduction

Rural Flavours is a transnational project between LAG “Bura” and international partners from Finland, Cyprus, Estonia, Portugal and Spain. Bearer of the project is LEADER Karhuseutu. The project aims to promote and connect local producers, as well as to transfer knowledge and spread the placement market. Partners on the project are Paphos District Development Agency “Aphrodite” and Development Agency of Lemesos LTD from Cyprus, LEADER Karhuseutu from Finland, LAG Hiiumaa from Estonia and LAG ADIRN from Portugal.
The objectives of the project are: promoting local customs, products and trades, increasing the scope of the local market, promoting tourism, transferring knowledge, raising awareness of healthy eating for schoolchildren and children in kindergarten, branding local products, promotion of organic and authentic local products, and social inclusion of inhabitants from remote rural area.

Presentation of the project
Project was implemented in the areas of Harjavalta (Pori) in Finland, Limassol and Paphos in Cyprus, Maslenica and Starigrad in Croatia, Hiiumaa in Estonia, Torres Novas and Tomar in Portugal. We decided to to make Rural Flavours cooperation project in order to provide our stakeholder from remote rural areas possibility of promotion and networking in partner countries in order to gain access to foreign markets, as well as the placement of products in the territory of the project’s partner countries. Moreover, our goal was to implement and increase food awareness of organic food for children and adults as well as to increase respect and knowledge of different traditions and nations.
We have organized agricultural fairs, study visits of local producers, children calendar, online platform, workshops on sustainability and marketing of local autochthonous products, promotional tourist videos, promotion of marginalized groups and remote areas. Project was successfully started in Portugal on 27th September 2018 and finished in May 2020.

Our objectives were:

• Marketing in the territory of the European Union. Project enabled product placement and networking in the area of five European Union countries.
• Examples of good practices
• Promotion through the scope of tourism and cultural heritage
• Promotion of local production, small family farms in remote areas and their autochthonous products
• Promotion of marginalized remote rural areas and gender equality
The condition for the survival of rural areas is the settlement of the population. Through “Rural Flavors”, we enabled the stakeholders to leave the “standard” rural framework and see the possibility of promotion and placement in foreign markets.
•Promotion of a healthy lifestyle, local autochthonous products and nutrition.

Upon completion of the implementation of the cooperation project, we increased marketing opportunities for the promotion of our local stakeholders in five European countries. The project resulted in a change in experience and an increase in the number of tourist arrivals. Through the promotion of rural tourism in the partner countries, we influenced the promotion of the tourist aspect of the area of our LAG. Increasing the scope of knowledge about local production is also one of the results of the project. By organizing agricultural, study visits and workshops we enabled our stakeholders to gain insight into the processes and marketing of local products. Rural Flavour promoted rural way of life and the promotion of a healthy lifestyle is measurable through the number of organized healthy eating programs in kindergartens, schools, homes for the elderly, which are indirectly affected by the project. Also, a measurable result of the project is an increase in the number of local products placed on local and European markets.

LEADER throughout the projects provided us with financing, examples of good practice, support for our action. Rural Flavours being part of LEADER program gave us an opportunity to use LEADER concepts method partnership, multi-sectoral approach, bottom-up approach and provided our project with an extra ordinary value.

Emblematic character of the project

The project contributes to the following goals 1 and 3 of the Local Development Strategy of LAG “Bura”:

Strengthening the competitiveness of local agricultural activity – The basic intention is to use spatial and natural prerequisites as levers for the development of agricultural activity and to strengthen the recognition and quality of products from the LAG area.
Strengthening the competitiveness of local agricultural activity and strengthening the capacities of LAGs and stakeholders are the goals of Local Development Strategy that correspond to the goals of the “Rural Flavours” project. Local agriculture through “Rural Flavors” project had the possibility to increasing competitiveness of local agriculture and strengthening the capacities of LAGs and LAG stakeholders via various project activities. It addressed demographic change as it included stakeholders from remote rural areas. Promoting rural areas is a tool of attracting people to rural agriculture, products and way of life in a reoccurring problem of depopulation of rural areas. Moreover, we included environmental issues through workshops on healthy eating programs, product placement on fairs, children calendar, and online platform. Social issues were included through promotion of gender equality and equal chance for everyone to be part of the project.

This project could be transferred to other LAGs who want to promote local autochthonous products, promote healthy food and lifestyle by making similar collaboration, organizing international agricultural fair and establishing a networking tool for farmers in their area. Moreover, organizing workshops on healthy lifestyle especially aimed at kindergarten and school children emphasizes ecologically grown food which is a primary sustainability concept. This project inspired GAL Trei Collini from Moldavia to make a study visit to LAG “Bura” in September 2023 and inspire them to plan an organization of a similar type of event in Moldavia in August 2024.

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NGO
LEADER Karhuseutu
Local Action Group « Bura »
Participants of the project are local action groups and two development agencies from Croatia,Cyprus, Estonia, Finland and Portugal.