Blue Week: A social lunch bringing together young people on rehabilitation programmes and isolated older people
To mark Blue Week, the ALEFPA association organised an intergenerational outing on Wednesday 7 October at La Villa Royale restaurant in Grand Case. The event was all about dialogue, solidarity and bringing the generations closer together.
Fedner Vilsaint, a social mediator in charge of the elderly care programme at ALEFPA, explains the initiative organised as part of this national week dedicated to pensioners and older people: “The idea was to bring together, around a friendly table, young people who are out of work and older people who often face isolation.”
Breaking isolation and fostering connections
Every year, ALEFPA Saint-Martin takes part in this event by organising joint activities with young people supported through reintegration schemes such as the CEJR (Youth Engagement Contract – Young People at Risk of Social Exclusion). “Every year, we see bonds forming between our grandads, our grandmas and the young people I look after. Last year we organised a day of beach activities and sport – it was brilliant,” explains Frédéric, the youth programme coordinator.
The aim is twofold: to offer older people a chance to socialise and to enable young people to step outside their usual environment, meet people from other generations and develop their interpersonal skills.
Young people supported on their journey towards a new future
Among the participants are several young people from priority neighbourhoods taking part in a reintegration programme aimed at those who have dropped out of school or become socially or professionally marginalised. Following on from an initial scheme reserved for 16–29-year-olds, this programme has, since January 2026, been open to participants aged 16 and over, with no upper age limit.
Currently, 19 young people are taking part in this programme, which provides 15 hours of activities per week in return for a monthly allowance. But beyond this financial support, the programme focuses above all on helping participants re-establish a routine, discover new skills and develop a career plan.
Rick, one of the young people present at this lunch, speaks to this. After leaving the education system, he took part in cookery workshops, sporting activities and received personalised support. Initially drawn to a career in the armed forces, he is now exploring other avenues, particularly in professions related to environmental protection.
Regaining confidence and feeling useful
Participants also take part in group projects such as cleaning the island’s beaches – an initiative for which they have learnt to build trolleys from recycled materials and are learning to identify the types of waste found along the coastline.
With the support of the Compagnons Bâtisseurs, these young people have also been able to create bone boxes as part of a project led this year by the Collectivité in response to overcrowded cemeteries. This initiative has, in particular, enabled them to gain training in carpentry and the funeral industry.
This lunch, organised as part of ‘Semaine bleue’, also reflects a desire to forge connections. By bringing together older people, some of whom are isolated, and young people seeking guidance, the initiative serves as a reminder that intergenerational solidarity can be a powerful driver of social inclusion.
