restaurant

Some faces are known because they play a role in the Auxerre seraglio. Proof that the deontology of the associative structure, specialized in social integration, always seduces the participants. Without this dulling their degree of involvement. What’s more, there are even new partner companies! A strong and clearly visible sign of this general assembly. It reflects the laudable intentions of AMIDON 89 to continue its growth…

AUXERRE : They and they are called Anne AZALBERT, Simone PARIS, Jean-François FINANCE, Jacques HOJLO, Jean-Luc TABOUREAU… Studious and attentive to the slightest remark made by the president of the associative structure in general assembly that day, Guy PARIS – he remains the valiant standard-bearer of one of the associations in Icaun that is 200% involved in the return to grace of the underprivileged of life in the professional world – these figures of local life confirm, by their presence, their deep interest in the work carried out on a daily basis by this body that needs no introduction. It’s simple: if AMIDON 89 did not exist, it would necessarily have to be invented!

On a purely structural level, the raison d’être of this organization is rooted in the following definition: AMIDON 89 is a work integration workshop. In clear terms, it acts by knowingly responding to the need to return to work of people who have been away from it for a more or less long period of time, for a multitude of reasons. Given the economic and societal context, there is no difficulty in listing them!

72% return to employment or training at the end of 2022…

A workshop which articulates its actions towards the return to employment via two professional vectors which are the activities of ironing and sewing. There is nothing obsolete or ridiculous about that: these functions are essential for many customers, staff and professional members of the structure, who engage in a win/win approach by adopting its altruistic precepts.

Question that we can legitimately ask ourselves listening to the presentation, well provided, of the former first deputy to the City of Auxerre under the era of Guy FEREZ? Is this system effective in facilitating the return to work of those – that’s the vast majority – and those who attend AMIDON 89 hoping for more in the end?

A figure corroborates all the good that one can think of this essential actor of the icaunais landscape helping with employability on our territory. In 2022, 72% of people who left the benevolent and life-saving framework for the refresher course, on the moral side, offered by the association were directed to a job, moreover stable, or failing that, to training. Not that bad, actually!

“It’s an excellent result, specified Guy PARIS, it puts us above the objective agreed by the State and the Department, ie 60%! “.

Last season’s workforce was made up of 47 job seekers employed by AMIDON 89, including 23 RSA beneficiaries, more or less young people who mostly lived in the priority neighborhoods of the city of Auxerre. Salaried “trainees” with a level below the CAP for 34% of them and most often of foreign origin.

Expenditure control, absolute battle horse in 2023…

It is in this context that very useful language workshops will be set up from June 2022 for the rapid acquisition of the French language, thus making it possible to increase the chances of integration and return to job. Explanatory sessions that were provided by two volunteers, thus becoming real pedagogues! Note that 2023 is conducive to the discovery of digital knowledge with the opening of specific workshops imagined since the beginning of the new year.

As for the members – the customers in fact of the structure which benefits from its judicious services -, their number rises to 256 members at the end of the past financial year. A clear increase, according to the admission of President Guy PARIS who is delighted, “this growth is partly attributable to the couture activity “. An increase that impacts the three sites managed by AMIDON 89 in Auxerre, Chablis and Saint-Florentin.

However, Guy PARIS remains very vigilant. The drop in cash – it is linked to late payments of European funds and especially to drastic reductions in subsidies – worries the manager of the structure. Even if the accounting year ends with a surplus of 5,412 euros on an overall budget of 660,000 euros…

Guy PARIS explains: it will be necessary to control expenses as much as possible in an inflationary context that is very demanding for the accounts.

“It’s certain, he concedes, it’s a difficult exercise to manage, but our determination to find new avenues of development – and funding on the contrary – is complete, both in Auxerrois and in the proximity of Chablis and its surroundings…”.

One foot on the expenditure brake, one foot on the revenue accelerator…

A balancing act without a net which unfortunately will not have prevented the entity from taking painful measures for 2023; that is to say the sine die closure of the Saint-Florentin workshop.

“We need to save money, adds the president of AMIDON 89, we must avoid at all costs the emergence of financial risks and not relive the period of difficulties already observed between 2015 and 2016 which placed us in convalescence…” .

On the side of good news – because there is too! -, the prospect of a partnership with the tourist site of Guédelon could put butter in the spinach and make the estimated budget more acceptable! A budget which is also announced, curiously, as a deficit.

“It’s to keep one foot on the spending brake and the other on the revenue accelerator at all times.laughs Guy PARIS by analyzing the situation.

The latter, however, retains several major assets in his game despite this particular economic context. New productions at the level of embroidery are envisaged for the marking of clothes – hey, hey, like in the good old days of the 50s and 60s! -, as for the amplitude of the opening offer of the Chablis workshop, it should widen.

As well as the implementation of the quality approach that can lead to the labeling of the structure with the “CSR” label: a serious plus to convince new entrepreneurial partners to join on the pledge of seriousness. Moreover, the response to the GRDF Foundation’s call for projects for digital technology both for the structure, the members and the actions for the employees goes in this direction. Despite the context, AMIDON 89 is indeed determined to shift into high gear in order to respect and reinforce its moral charter: “benevolence, requirement, autonomy and success”.

Thierry BRET