Actions in France
For the first time, within the framework of the Laboratoires Expanscience participative innovation approach, the company’s staff are taking action for the Mustela Foundation via "socially responsible" projects.
With the Charles Perrault International Institute
In the beginning of 2011, a reading committee had been set up in a hospital paediatric department, designed to:
- create new relations between the children and the caring and teaching personnel,
- encourage a taste for reading in small children,
- feed their imagination,
- teach them to express their feelings in reaction to a story, etc.
The amount set aside for this project was €7,600. It was developed in partnership with the Charles Perrault International Institute, a benchmark organisation in the field of literature, publishing and youth culture.
In practical terms, the children are invited to get together on a weekly basis with one or more supervising adults, to exchange their opinions or feelings on books read individually or together. In addition, they are able to attend a writing workshop every month. Lastly, once a quarter, the children and all the members of the reading committee meet the author of one of the works that proved most popular with the children.
With the charity Emmaus
In July 2010, disadvantaged children and their mothers enjoyed their first holiday away.
The donation for this project was €5,500. It was given to the two Emmaus charity reception centres in Paris, CHRS Flandre and the Family Pension Le Bua.
Accompanied by four social workers, seven single parent families (seven mothers and eleven children) went to a campsite on Ile de Noirmoutier from 3 to 10 July 2010.
These families have problems caused by socio-economic difficulties, cultural differences and family break-up. None of them had previously had the opportunity to go away on holiday or even to leave the Paris region.
The results were largely positive. The families were involved in preparations for the trip. The mothers were able to detach themselves from their everyday difficulties and take pleasure in spending time with their children, away from ordinary constraints.
Children and adults alike took part in a wide range of activities, including some that were new to them: swimming, cycling, fishing, sailing, visits, walks, discovery of the salt marshes … and all of this without any television!
In addition, the social workers were able to identify new problems or detect individual difficulties that were previously hidden.
