Bilan d’activité 2019
La solidarité en action
On 4 January, pastry chef Nina Métayer ran a galette des rois workshop for six children who were enrolled in the Secours populaire school and educational support programme in Paris. They went to one of the capital’s bakeries and got some useful advice from the “Best pastry chef of the year 2017” according to the Gault and Millau guide.
On 12 January, the Secours populaire launched Don’actions, its major annual fundraising campaign. To mark the occasion, hundreds of volunteers took to the streets of Agen, Rouen, Nice, Paris and other places around the country to collect donations from the public.
A cold snap hit France and triggered the Grand Froid cold weather solidarity programme in 22 departments. The Secours populaire immediately stepped up its actions, coming to the aid of poorly housed and homeless people who are the first victims of severe weather conditions.
Three months after the tragedy that took place in Rue d’Aubagne, Marseille, where a building collapsed and several others had to be evacuated, the Secours populaire is still working with the families who were affected. Through the generosity of the public and local partners, nearly €10,000 was collected to support them.
As part of the Grand débat national, the Secours populaire decided to invite everyone in the association to act as representatives for its volunteers, and the nation’s poorest people. Just as it had in 1989 to mark the bicentenary of the French Revolution, the SPF published its cahiers de doléances (books of grievances). Volunteers everywhere were called upon to be the mouthpiece for those who are never heard.
For the 25th edition of the Zénith de la solidarité, 5,000 people who have received support from the Secours populaire were invited to the Zénith in Lille for an incredible concert. This year, the event was headlined by Keen’V, much to the delight of both young and old.
For International Women’s Day, the Secours populaire, in partnership with LVMH, organised an event known as Une journée pour soi (A day to yourself). In six French towns, 350 women supported by the association took advantage of a day that had been set aside especially for them. The agenda included a make-up session, a photo shoot and a day trip.
On 15 March, the Secours populaire’s major fundraising campaign came to an end. Volunteers spent two months collecting the donations that are essential to keep the association running, and the Don’actions solidarity draw is a key part of those efforts. Prizes were drawn with important SPF personalities including Valérie Trieweiler and Christian Rauth.
Two months before the MEP elections, the associations that distribute European food aid in France and other EU countries, including the Secours populaire, organised a roundtable disccusion on Wednesday 20 March at the European Parliament in Brussels, determined to underline how important the programme is for its beneficiaries.
Cyclone Idai wreaked devastation in Mozambique. The Secours populaire immediately sprung into action to help the thousands of people who were affected. A group of people from the association travelled to the area, along with its partners from the Philippines (Mirasol) and Madagascar (CSM). Water filters were handed out with help from the SPF’s Portuguese partner. A fine example of how solidarity has gone global!
In April, the Secours populaire organised nearly 300 egg hunts throughout France. As part of the Printemps de la solidarité mondiale (global solidarity spring), these days of celebration are designed to raise funds for the association’s projects in almost 80 countries.
Tropical Cyclone Kenneth hit the Comoros on the night of 24-25 April, causing hundreds of injuries and displacing nearly 20,000 people. The Secours populaire launched an appeal for generosity to provide support for the victims of this natural disaster.
On 26 April, Julien Lauprêtre, President of the Secours populaire, passed away at the age of 93. For all the members of the association, his passing marks the loss of a friend, as well as a president. Julien spent his entire life refusing what he found unacceptable, poverty, and injustice. He made solidarity his daily fight, and he turned the Secours populaire into an important movement for popular solidarity.
250 people from the Ile-de-France region gathered at the Gare de Lyon on 30 April to embark on the holiday train. They were bound for Narbonne-Plage in the Aude department of France for six days of relaxation. On their arrival, they met with 250 people from the Occitanie region. This first departure marked the launch of the Secours populaire holiday campaign.
Thousands of messages were received after the announcement that Julien Lauprêtre, President of Secours populaire, had passed away. Volunteers, people who had received support, political and public figures, and members of the public all wanted to celebrate the commitment of a man who dedicated his life to supporting the most disadvantaged. On 2 May, hundreds of people from all over France gathered at the Hôtel de Ville in Paris to pay him a final tribute.
In partnership with the Syndicat de la librairie française, the Secours populaire led its Donnez à lire (Donate to read) campaign, which involved collecting books for children. Following up on the initiative, volunteers organised a meeting in Lyon between the children and a bookshop, so that they could discuss their favourite books.
Following the devastating floods in March, a delegation from the Secours populaire went to the province of Khuzestan in southwestern Iran. Working with its partner, the Iranian Red Cross, the SPF handed out food packages and school supplies to affected families.
Secours populaire was the partner association for the 2019 SAXOPRINT Creative Awards, which is a competition to create an advertising campaign for a humanitarian cause. Six campaigns were chosen based on the theme of child poverty in the world, and the campaigns will be broadcast at key times between 2019 and 2020.
From 6 to 10 June, ten young Parisians were able to discover the joys of mountaineering. They were invited to enjoy an amazing trip to the Alps. The programme involved exploring the sea of ice, hiking on a glacier, spending a night in a refuge and climbing to a summit of 3,450 metres.
About thirty representatives from Secours populaire partner companies and foundations gathered at the Au Bal venue for the annual meeting of the association’s solidarity partners club. It was an opportunity for the association to thank them for their support, inform them about what challenges the association is facing and share details about current and future projects.
For the 14th edition of the Boîtes à bonheur (Cans for happiness) campaign, €632,794 was collected for the Secours populaire. This action, which was carried out in partnership with Carrefour and the canning industry, helps to fund the Journées des oubliés des vacances holiday programme, which is run in August for people who cannot go on holiday during the summer.
For the tenth year, the Kinder village opened its doors to more than 600 children. Several groups were able to spend a week’s holiday at the destination over a period of one month, and were able to try fifteen different sports and meet a few champions.
Throughout the summer, 34 copain du Monde children’s holiday villages were organised in France, Europe and around the world. These villages are an opportunity for children from all different backgrounds to get together and build projects to help others.
50 children spent two weeks on holiday in the Netherlands. Our partner Europa Kinderhulp welcomed them into their host families and helped them discover a new country, learn about a new culture and make some new friends.
On 9 August, the Banquet des cheveux blancs (Pensioners’ banquet) brought together 400 retired people from the eight Île-de-France Secours populaire federations. After a cruise on the Seine and Marne rivers, they had lunch and partook in a little dancing Chez Gégène, the famous guinguette dance venue at Joinville-le-Pont. For many of the people it was an opportunity to escape isolation, and the only holiday day in the year.
To mark the occasion, 50 magical days were organised throughout France for 50,000 people. Children, parents, young people or seniors who couldn’t manage to go on holiday during the summer were able to enjoy an unforgettable day at the seaside, in the mountains, or at the zoo...
In early September, Category 5 Hurricane Dorian ripped through the Bahamas. From 6 September, a Secours populaire delegation with partners from Saint Martin and Guadeloupe, went to the area to assess needs and provide emergency assistance to the population. Emergency packages and water filters were also distributed to the victims.
Every year, the return to school is a real financial headache for families in difficulty. Volunteers from the Secours populaire stepped up during this period and organised collections of supplies so that these children could start the year with the equipment they needed.
On 12 September, the Secours populaire launched its Pauvreté-Précarité (Poverty-instability) campaign. It was an opportunity for the association to unveil its 13th barometer, produced with Ipsos, which this year focuses on how children perceive poverty.
On 8 October, France 2 broadcast the documentary Gosse de France (A kid from France), directed by Andrea Rawlins-Gaston, which deals with child poverty and was released one month before the 30th anniversary of the International Convention on the Rights of the Child. The film features Benjamin, a child who receives support from the Secours populaire.
In October, the Turkish army attacked Syrian Kurdistan, threatening 3.5 million children, women and men who were all forced to flee to Iraqi Kurdistan. Faced with this catastrophic situation, the Secours populaire launched an appeal for solidarity to meet the most urgent needs of the displaced families.
After the Local Committees’ Annual General Meetings in all the departments of France, volunteers from the federations of the Secours populaire met for their departmental Conferences and Congresses. These events provided the opportunity to take stock of the actions, define future directions and elect directors and delegates to the National Congress
From 16 November, the Musée de l’Imprimerie et de la Communication Graphique (printing and graphic design museum) held an exhibition on the origin and gradual transformation of the Secours populaire logo. It was also a chance for the public to trace back the history of the association through the 160 archives that were made available by the SPF.
To commemorate the centenary of the end of the First World War, 30 young French, German and refugee-migrants took part in the Born to be solidaire programme in Verdun. They visited the town, learnt about its history, and talked about Europe and peace.
On 20 November 1989, the International Convention on the Rights of the Child was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly. Thirty years later, too many children are still suffering from abuse and do not benefit from their rights. The Secours populaire works daily to ensure that these rights are applied in our society.
On 20 December in Paris, 5,000 people from all over France were invited to a preview of the Phénix circus show. This early celebration was shared with around fifty sponsors of the Secours populaire, who came to show their continued support for the association.
On 1 December, the seventh edition of Secours pop’Rocks was held at the Bataclan concert venue in Paris. The event was a fundraising concert to benefit of the Ile-de-France federations of the Secours populaire. 1,600 people flocked to see Hocus Pocus, the headliner at the event.
The Secours populaire launched a TV and digital campaign for Christmas to raise public awareness of the impact that poverty can have at this time. The film was produced by Publicis Conseil and Prodigious.
The Secours populaire organised its end-of-year celebrations event at the Musée des arts forains (Museum of fairground arts) in Paris. It was a wonderful opportunity to bring together the association’s sponsors and partners. A fashion show was even organised featuring people who had received support from the Secours populaire.
Because solidarity has no boundaries, the Pères Noël verts green Father Christmas tour has now spread to countries in America, Asia, Africa and the rest of Europe. Throughout the world, the Christmas campaign has been stepped up so that no-one is forgotten.