Social and Employment
Place
Versailles, France
Sponsor
Olivier Pascal
Grant(s)
30.000 € to the Selection Committee at 2006/03/28
Project leader
Ermitage Accueil
« “To me, the originality of the project resides in the scale of the human and social accompaniment of the persons accommodated: they not only benefit from a roof over their heads, but also warm accompaniments and human relations facilitating “reconstruction” within a home with many activities. The accommodation of young people, as permitted by the alterations, will be a particularly useful service. »
Olivier Pascal
The proprietors of a very pleasant site, the Congregation des Sœurs Auxiliatrices provides the association Ermitage Accueil with a park, conference rooms, a chapel and buildings offering rooms. Initially designed only as a retreat, the place was subsequently opened to persons in difficulty.
Accommodated and supported
Since 1998, thanks to the steady commitment of Ermitage Accueil, no less than 160 persons have been accommodated for periods ranging from a few months to a year. The lucky individuals not only find a home, but also personalized accompaniment, alongside social services and mutual aid associations of the commune. The other activities of the center make it a forum enabling reintegrating individuals to make fresh contact with the outside world.
Yet the buildings desperately need refurbishing. The project, defined by Ermitage Accueil with the help of an architect, consists in completely altering the accommodation space in order to make it more friendly and pleasant. The overall project has been evaluated at 250 000 euros.
Two-thirds of the financing comes from public funds, with the participation of the regional council of Ile-de-France, the General Council of the Yvelines and the city of Versailles. The Veolia foundation provides indispensable support to the project with a grant of 30 000 euros.