VSt is a haven of peace nestled in nature where the disabled and able-bodied rub shoulders. In Biganos, the association Au Phare de l’Eyre has for ten years set itself the objective of fighting against the withdrawal and social exclusion of people with disabilities. His tools? Activities that create links between people and their natural, social and cultural environment. All on a three-hectare site studded with shared gardens and animals.
At the origin of this idea, a couple, Cathy and George Paolin. In 2013, their son Bastien, today…
VSt is a haven of peace nestled in nature where the disabled and able-bodied rub shoulders. In Biganos, the association Au Phare de l’Eyre has for ten years set itself the objective of fighting against the withdrawal and social exclusion of people with disabilities. His tools? Activities that create links between people and their natural, social and cultural environment. All on a three-hectare site studded with shared gardens and animals.
At the origin of this idea, a couple, Cathy and George Paolin. In 2013, their son Bastien, now 21, left a localized unit for inclusive education (Ulis) and could not find his place, nor in an establishment and work assistance service (Esat) , nor in an occupational home. “He loved nature and the psychologist who accompanied him did animal mediation,” they explain.
The association works a lot around animal mediation.
Eyre lighthouse
Respite for families
The association was created in 2014 and, two years later, the Paolins acquired agricultural land in Biganos. The adventure begins around a nature club which, every Wednesday, welcomes adults and children. On the sole basis of voluntary work, the space takes shape: cabins, henhouse, lunging ring… As for the shared gardens, they see all the profiles: individuals looking for a piece of land to cultivate and mentally handicapped people.
Today, the medico-educational institute, the Esat, the day hospital, educational placement at home, the specialized reception center and the associations Tout cerebrolésé assistance (TCA) and M en Rouge work with the Lighthouse. of the Eyre.
“The goal is exchange, simplicity. We come here as we are. The animal does not judge »
George Paolin.
Sabine MENET
“The goal is exchange, simplicity. We come here as we are. The animal does not judge, ”sums up George Paolin, who saw the benefits on his son. Sandrine, the mother of Kevin, a 29-year-old young man for whom she alone takes charge, testifies to the respite that this moment gives her. “We are blowing”, she sums up while her son, supervised by Laurence, the medico-psychological assistant, and William, the integration officer, works in the vegetable garden. “Together, they help each other. They get involved. They socialize. Sometimes, we no longer recognize them, ”she smiles.
Inclusive housing projects
This openness to the outside world is also cultivated through cooking, DIY, writing, music and speaking group workshops. The Eyre Lighthouse now has 200 members. Among them, about fifty volunteers take turns to ensure the proper functioning of the site. This is the case of Julie, a neighborhood neighbor who has been taking care of animals for five years.
“I came curious about the project and stayed. It is a pleasant place to live that allows you to disconnect from everyday life and meet people from different backgrounds. The association is working with various partners around two inclusive housing projects within the real estate program of the former fire station and on the ZAC de Biganos. She also aims, near her land, to create a place of respite for families.
This Saturday, May 20, it organizes an open day from 10 am around many animations.
From left to right: Déborah (TypiK’AtypiK 33), Sophie Panonacle (LREM deputy), Dorian Laffitte (N’Joy Surf Activities), Élise Marc and George Paolin (Le Phare de l’Eyre) during one of the round tables around disability.
Sabine MENET
Round tables around disability
Like what she had previously put in place around violence against women, LREM MP Sophie Panonacle organizes round tables around disability. The idea is to create links and organize meetings between a large number of associations and organizations involved in this theme. This is how a trombinoscope listing the forces present was recently published and a white paper drawing up an inventory and recommending a series of actions was submitted, on 24 February last, to the Minister responsible for persons with disabilities, Geneviève Darrieussecq, during her trip to the Arcachon basin. “What emerged was the need to develop inclusive housing,” explains Élise Marc, president of the Phare de l’Eyre. For Dorian Laffitte, who takes care of the inclusive and itinerant school N’Joy Surf Activities, it is a question of “facilitating the files with the Departmental House for the Disabled”. Déborah, who takes care of Tipik Atypik, believes she “needs a referent”. For her part, Sophie Panonacle insists on the training to be put in place for healthcare personnel in the context of detecting violence committed against disabled and vulnerable people. With a common voice, everyone agrees to talk about the “obstacle course” defining the daily life of people with disabilities and their loved ones.
Information: 07 83 16 55 95.
