In 2023, the CMA CGM Foundation also launched its partnership with ACTA VISTA and La Citadelle de Marseille to support the restoration of the Fort d'Entrecasteaux, a 17th century listed building in Marseille. The Foundation's support has enabled 90 people in vulnerable situations to benefit from mentoring and a one-year training course in heritage conservation. At the end of the training course, the participants got the opportunity to obtain a professional mason's qualification, the "titre de maçon du bâti ancien".
The CMA CGM Foundation's Commitments in Marseille
In Marseille, young people, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds, face major challenges in terms of access to education, academic success, and professional integration. The youth unemployment rate (15-24 years old) illustrates this perfectly, currently standing at 30%, almost double the national rate.
Since 2005, the CMA CGM Foundation has been committed to education, with a particular focus on young people from disadvantaged backgrounds. Nearly 250 projects have been supported in Marseille, notably through Le Phare, the Foundation's social incubator, which supports start-ups and associations seeking to develop innovative educational projects.
Providing professional training to young people in Marseille
The CMA CGM Foundation extends its support to educational programs aimed at accompanying young people, helping them to realize their full potential and contributing to the promotion of excellence in education and equal opportunities.
Since 2023, it has been supporting 11 schools and associations in Marseille, providing 1,200 young people at risk of dropping out of school and far from employment each year with training and qualification opportunities in forward-looking sectors such as digital, energy transition, transport and logistics, cinema and audiovisual, heritage restoration, etc.
Supporting educational programs through sports and the discovery of the sea
The CMA CGM Foundation is actively involved in promoting education in Marseille through various extracurricular activities, particularly sports and the discovery of the sea. Its aim is to democratize access to sporting activities for children and young people from all backgrounds.
Following the appointment of the CMA CGM Group as the Official Logistics Partner of the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the Foundation has contributed to the Legacy of the Games in Marseille through a number of projects:
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The renovation of several City Stades in conjunction with the OM Fondation, the Agence Nationale du Sport and the City of Marseille. The first of these stadiums, located at the foot of La Major Cathedral in the 2nd arrondissement, was inaugurated in 2023. Two other city stadiums are scheduled to open in Marseille by the end of 2024.
The renovation in 2024 of a modern, multifunctional sports field at the Maison d'Enfants à Caractère Social (MECS) de La Reynarde, located in Marseille's 11th arrondissement. Thanks to this project, 40 youngsters now have the chance to practice a variety of team sports, rollerblading and running.
A series of studies have shown that a large number of Marseille children under the age of 12 do not know how to swim, and that drowning is the leading cause of everyday accidents for people under the age of 25, which motivated the Foundation to take action through :
For the past 4 years, we have supported the "Un pas vers la Mer" program, which enables 150 children each year to participate in a swimming program developed by the Marseille Capitale de la Mer association.
The implementation in 2024 of a "Discover the Sea" program for 800 children and young people from Marseille's social centers, who benefitted from nautical activities on the Frioul Islands, in partnership with the Léo Lagrange Méditerranée association.
The organization in 2024 of various nautical activities (swimming, canoeing, kayaking, etc.) at the Corbières nautical base in l'Estaque, in partnership with the association Le Grand Bleu, for 2,000 children and young people from Marseille's priority neighborhoods. The partnership also provides for the training of 115 young people in professions related to the supervision and safety of these activities, such as lifeguards, lifesavers and pool attendants.
The launch in 2023 of an introductory sailing program for 100 Marseille youth aboard skipper Eric Bellion's schooner Ahoy.
aboard skipper Eric Bellion's schooner Ahoy. eric bellion with children cma cgm Mitigating food insecurity in Marseille by collaborating with France’s leading food banks
Today, nearly 10% of the French population is dependent on food aid. Vulnerable populations are still forced to go without essential goods and products. Our Foundation decided to respond to this challenge by providing access to healthy food for people in need. It does so primarily by supporting France’s leading food aid organizations, namely Restos du Cœur, Banques Alimentaires, and Secours Populaire.
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In 2022 and 2023, the partnership with Restos du Coeur enabled the distribution of 2 million meals in mainland France. Alongside these handouts, 100 CMA CGM staff members helped Restos du Cœur volunteers in the 2023 National Collection drive. They worked in supermarkets as volunteers for the day, assisting the collection of products, before going to Restos du Cœur warehouses in Marseille to sort out donations.
The partnership with Banques Alimentaires enabled the distribution of over 1 million meals, most of them in French overseas territories, mainly in Guadeloupe, Martinique, and Reunion Island. Through its Containers of Hope program, the Foundation also provided Banques Alimentaires with refrigerated containers to transport frozen products to island locations at no cost. It also donated containers to increase the storage and distribution capabilities of the overseas territories’ food banks. More than 200 CMA CGM staff members also take part in their annual collections organized in supermarkets and their warehouses every November and March. These are essential moments of solidarity shared with their volunteers.
In 2022 and 2023, the Foundation's support also enabled Secours Populaire to expand its activities in the Bouches-du-Rhône department, including the “Green Santas” (“Pères Noël Verts”) campaign, which was able to distribute thousands of additional food parcels in the Marseille area to help families in need celebrate the festive season.
In 2023, the Foundation also supported the Secours Populaire in the purchase of two electric trucks and one "Solidar'Bus." The Solidar’Bus is a modified truck equipped with a reception area and storage space, which visits locations to assist young people.
In 2023, the Foundation also provided critical support to Secours Catholique for the operation of its 12 food distribution sites in the diocese of Marseille. This support facilitates the provision of quality food while encouraging short supply chains and active participation by beneficiaries.
The Foundation also provides the abovementioned partners with logistical support to help them rethink and optimize their logistics (particularly warehousing and road transport), drawing on the expertise of CEVA Logistics, a subsidiary of the CMA CGM Group.
Supporting associations and startups through our social incubator Le Phare
Le Phare is the social incubator of the CMA CGM Foundation. Committed to promoting equal opportunities and education for all, the Foundation aims to support entrepreneurs in developing innovative solutions with a social and educational vocation.
Since its launch in 2021, Le Phare has supported 24 structures in Marseille, providing them with access to professional, customized monitoring, a coworking space and hours of mentoring by CMA CGM staff members.
As part of its third cohort (2023 - 2024), it is currently supporting 10 associations and start-ups aimed at improving access to education for all. 4 of them were created in Marseille, for Marseille: The Protis Club, Une voie pour tous, Grimpe and Melting Pot.
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