The event will take place on Tuesday, April 7th starting at 9:30 am at the Raphael-Pujazon stadium in Alès.
168 participants are expected to attend, including 141 employees of Ateliers et chantiers d’insertion (ACI) and 27 animators and supervisors. “Sport today is seen as a major tool for social and professional integration. More than just physical activity, it is a space for learning, rebuilding, and personal empowerment. By combining well-being, health, and commitment, it provides a structured and accessible framework for young people and vulnerable populations. Sports activities develop essential skills: respect for rules, effort management, cooperation, self-confidence. These are all strengths that facilitate social integration, training, or employment,” said Françoise Laurent-Perrigot, president of the Gard Department Council.
Remy Nicolas and Vincent Bouget, vice-presidents delegated to Integration and Access to Employment, and departmental counselors for sports, said, “Following this observation, we brought together sports and health to become a real driver of integration. They create connections, strengthen autonomy, and open up new perspectives for those who need it most. For our territories, investing in sports as a tool for inclusion is an effective, sustainable, and profoundly humane strategy. Following a successful first experience last year at the Kaufmann stadium in Nîmes, this 2nd edition of ‘Sport and Health’ proposed in the Cévennes fully embraces this dynamic. We are convinced that it will be a great success with over 200 expected participants.”
The Departmental Schemes for Social Solidarity in 2022 and Sports in 2023 have allowed the community to rethink the implementation of its public policies. Among the priorities identified, social cohesion emerges as a central issue, while the intersection between sports and integration is recognized as a strategic lever to achieve this objective. In this context, it appears that health is one of the three main obstacles to integration.
Groups such as recipients of the Active Solidarity Income (RSA) or long-term unemployed (12 months or more than 24 months) often face physical or psychological difficulties. Using sports as a tool to integrate the “health” component for these populations in integration represents an innovative and relevant approach.
Sports contribute to the development of psychosocial skills, which are fundamental elements for improving health, promoting well-being, and enhancing educational and social success.
Ten integration projects operating in the Alès region are invited to participate in ten accessible and fun “sports” workshops offered by local partners. Groups will be formed, and a rotation organized so that each person experiences all the workshops, through 12-minute sessions, for 2 hours (from 10 am to 12 pm).
