FONDS VINCI

The Fonds VINCI, founded in 2012 in Belgium, supports projects of common interest. By creating the Fonds VINCI, the founding entities demonstrate their desire to fight against any form of exclusion, to give each individual their own place, role and dignity.

The Fonds VINCI wants to support organizations, with human and financial resources, pursuing a social and welfare purpose. The Foundation not only grants financial support, but gives its employees the opportunity to volunteer (in the form of a mentor-ship) for the supported organizations. This way, the employees of VINCI in Belgium are able to deploy themselves for the supported organizations, by making available their professional skills to strengthen the projects and actions. Organizations interested in such a partnership are invited to submit their application form.

Since its establishment in 2012, already 127 organisations received our financial and professional human support. No less than 120 of our social committed employees offered their professional skills.

The ‘Fonds VINCI’ in Belgium operates within two fields: access to employment and building better communities. It supports initiatives of organizations pursuing one of the following six sub-goals:

Access to employment

• Initiatives that promote the employment of people in a situation of exclusion.
• Initiatives that contribute to the training and to more qualifications for these people.
• Initiatives that facilitate the mobility of these people.

Building better communities

• Initiatives that sensitizes youngsters to citizenship.
• Initiatives for the social reintegration of the most isolated people.
• Initiatives that help the most disadvantaged people gain access to housing.

Being close, to be effective

The initiative to support organizations often comes from our employees. Their personal, close link with an association enlarges their engagement. Some examples of projects already realized in 2017:

De Okkernoot – Halle

De Okkernoot – an accredited service for the reception of people with disabilities – is planning to renovate two floors in a listed 19th century monastery to create studio flats for 14 people with autism. The project will help reduce the lack of residential places and the long waiting lists for this target group. Support from the VINCI Fund is earmarked for the fitting out of the communal living areas, a kitchen and therapy rooms. The main focus is on the inclusion of residents and the expansion of their social network: participation in workshops, guided initiatives for work in the neighbourhood (collection of glass and waste), and an open garden and terrace for local people.

The sponsorship is being provided by Jos Verhaegen, Business Development Manager at Cegelec Fire Solutions, who will help the association to prepare and implement the work with the suppliers.  He will be lending a hand with the work and at fundraising events, if possible with other colleagues from his company.

L’étape – Doornik

L’étape is a shelter for people and families of no fixed address who have a range of problems, including addiction, family or administrative problems, time in prison, poverty, isolation, mental or physical health problems, lack of motivation and heavy debt. In order to encourage their reintegration into society, the home also provides support with administrative, social and budget issues, a communal restaurant, a shared vegetable garden and a carpentry workshop. Help was requested from the VINCI Fund for a much-needed renovation of the showers, which have problems with drainage, and the ventilation. The new showers will make it easier to encourage the home’s target group to acquire better hygiene practices.

The sponsorship is being provided by Gregory Winkowski, Senior Project Manager at Cegelec Infra Technics. Gregory has been involved with the association since his first sponsorship in 2012 and continues to analyse its needs and look for solutions to meet them, searching for partners, comparing quotations, optimising costs and monitoring the execution of the work.

Banc Public – Ecaussinnes

Banc Public is a young and dynamic non-profit organisation set up by a group of volunteers who wanted to work locally to build a more inclusive society, strengthen social ties and raise young people’s awareness about nature and culture (music and theatre). In one year, Banc Public has already organised three nature projects with young people, two theatre companies, internships and lessons for young people who have fallen behind at school, and has plenty of other exciting ideas. All these activities take place in the community centre, a place where anyone (including the most vulnerable) can get involved and engage in self-development. The VINCI Fund makes a contribution towards the purchase of furniture and material.

The sponsorship is being provided by Daniel Clairbois, Design Engineer at Cegelec. It includes various forms of practical help to the organisation: the sponsor lends a hand with assembling a stand or transporting people and equipment to and from events, accompanying groups on trips and doing odd jobs at the centre.

Habitat & Participation – Court-Saint-Etienne

The non-profit organisation ‘Habitat et Participation’, together with a number of partners in Court-Saint-Etienne, has set up a community residential project for a mixed group of people aged between 20 and 40 who are in education or training.  The various partners will provide a coherent range of support services (social support, housing support, training and work supervision, etc.) to promote the socio-economic integration of the seven residents. The sense of solidarity that arises between them will hopefully create a positive atmosphere, which is the best remedy against loneliness and for preventing people in difficulties from giving up. Support from the VINCI Fund will help with fitting out the common areas and purchasing furniture.

The sponsorship is being provided by Benoit Gouverneur, Business Development Manager at Cegelec, who will help the organisation analyse quotations and find partners and give it the benefit of his technical expertise.

vzw Touché – Ghent

This association aims to inspire society to deal with aggression in a constructive way and works with people who get into trouble because of aggression. We find constructive and efficient solutions by using the power and energy of aggression and transforming it into positive energy, successful reintegration and a reduced recidivism. vzw Touché offers solution-oriented programmes, trainings and preventive workshops for anyone having to deal with stress. Three target groups receive special attention here: (ex)prisoners, young people and people in business.

The sponsorship is being provided by Bart Schurmans, Business Unit Manager at Cegelec. Professionally Bart comes into contact with the prison system (construction, construction techniques of various prisons); hence his interest in becoming acquainted with the other side of it. He wants to use his skills and network, so he will provide certain IT purchases and he will make the company’s offer known in the business world.

Actions undertaken under Bart Schurmans’ sponsorship:

• Initiative to organise business workshops with Cegelec about stress
• A visit by Touché at the Cegelec shipyard and offices
• Provision of IT support to Cegelec concerning their IT needs by Touché
• Purchase of a video projector through price negotiations with Cegelec
• Development of a consultation app with 2 contact persons of Axians
• Presence at the book show ‘Positively aggressive’ in De Krook