In Cognac, the City's new social project hits the mark and is growing in scope

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?,” notes Mayor Morgan Berger with a smile. In any case, congratulations to you who decorated it. It gives new life to this liner which has found its course, and for which only a name remains to be found.” This will be done in January to mark the new era into which this former flagship of the socio-educational association of the Cognac region (Aserc) will enter.

“From a center, we want it to become a place of life and services for everyone. As with the branches attached to it (La Chaudronne and La Passerelle), we no longer want it to be linked to a neighborhood as in the past. It is the headquarters of our social project, or pre-project because it is expected to evolve further,” underlines the mayor.

A project which is accompanied by a new organization and a new operation, which will result in the arrival of three family representatives at the start of next year. They will complete the current workforce of four people, while awaiting the reinforcement of three social mediators as well. Their recruitment is underway.

“The actions speak for us, the residents have already taken ownership of this project.”

“We will thus be able to open the antennas every day of the week, for example, compared to four half-days today. There will be a mediator and a reception agent present continuously, during opening hours,” indicates Ludovic Poujade, director of the municipal social action center (CCAS) which oversees this new social system validated by the CAF, one of its financiers with the State and the City.

Morgan Berger was committed to rebuilding social ties after the disappearance of Aserc, continuing to breathe life into neighborhoods, providing new services.

“The answer is there, and we will continue to work on this system which is already bearing fruit in terms of the satisfaction of residents and the feedback we have received. There’s a real dynamic building up, it even took us by surprise to organize ourselves, but it’s great,” he rejoices.

Specialized return prevention

Relaunched, the hotlines, integration, employment, educational success, and even youth information, have found their audience and will eventually expand to other themes as well as intensify with the expected reinforcements.

For 15 days, the specialized prevention service has returned to service, this time within the center, run by four of its former employees. Activities, such as the events set up this summer and continued since the start of the school year in September, will gradually be filled with new proposals.

When the collaboration started with associations or specialized structures such as the Local Mission, the Interim Space, Info Jeunes or the Mosc (1), will continue to develop.

“It’s a project that is being built with the participation of residents, we wanted it. It’s essential to its success,” points out Ludovic Poujade, delighted by the enthusiasm it arouses.

The creation in the spring of “Uni vers cite”, an association specializing in inter-tenant mediation and led by Linda Delidais, former volunteer at Aserc, is a demonstration of this. Like “Le petit Crouin” and “La palette solidaire”, at La Chaudronne, two other associations currently being formed.

“Actions speak for us, the residents have already taken ownership of this project. Proof that we chose the right path,” relishes Morgan Berger, who was booed following the liquidation of Aserc.

(1) West South Charente Mobility.