Ampère concierge service for the community
« Déniché pour Vous » 116 file
July 2022
Réseau des collectivités Territoriales pour une Economie Solidaire (RTES)
The « Déniché pour Vous » files have been developed by the RTES. They present local initiatives in France, their environment, their purpose and their development, with particular emphasis on the role of local authorities. Whether the initiatives focus on the energy transition, shared spaces, the circular economy, food, sustainable mobility, immigration or digital technology, these case studies offer an instructive immersion in the field of local social innovation.
The Conciergerie Solidaire d’Alsace is a cooperative society registered in February 2021. It was born out of the shared desire of local players in the Social and Solidarity Economy to develop the concierge service as a vehicle for sustainable integration. Ampère is the first community-based concierge service to be set up in Strasbourg, in an enclave of 1,200 inhabitants between Neudorf and Musau. Classified as an inner-city district and isolated following the closure of shops and services between 2017 and 2019, the neighbourhood was sorely lacking in a satisfactory range of services. The conciergerie, an open, central space that brings people together, offers new services, both free and paying, and helps to develop social links, while creating a new neighbourhood dynamic.
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Origin and presentation of the initiative
The Ampère district of Strasbourg is a priority urban policy district with 1,200 inhabitants and is very isolated (only one bus line goes there). Following a supermarket fire and the relocation of the pharmacy in 2017, followed by the departure of the local town hall and post office in 2019, the district was sorely lacking in a satisfactory range of services.
In 2018, the Fabrique à projets, commissioned by the Strasbourg Eurometropole, began by identifying needs in collaboration with the Conseil citoyen, and organised meetings to bring together local players. The Ampère Conciergerie Solidaire is the result of a collective effort by citizens mobilised via the Citizen’s Council to bring back local services and by partners who worked alongside them to set up the project: La Poste, Ophéa, the main social landlord in the Strasbourg Eurometropole, Alsace Active, SSE players, as well as local authorities and the State as part of the urban policy.
The Conciergerie Solidaire was born out of the shared desire of local SSE players to develop concierge services as a vehicle for sustainable integration, and was inaugurated in September 2021.
Located at the foot of a building, it welcomes residents and offers 3 types of service:
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at your service »: post office (postage, dispatch, distribution), bread depot, dry cleaning, sewing, keys, etc.
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solidarity between us »: a service for residents to exchange skills and help each other out, material resources (DIY tools, small electrical appliances, board games….), collection points for recycling waste, etc.
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Together! workshops and events, coffee and social areas, temporary markets and sales, etc.
The evolving range of services is set to expand (bike hire and maintenance, bulk food products, etc.). These services will be provided in close partnership with local associations and partners, mainly from the social economy sector. Initially supported by the Régie des écrivains, a social integration and adapted enterprise, the Ampère Conciergerie Solidaire became one of the first projects of the Conciergerie Solidaire d’Alsace, a SCIC created by the Régie des Ecrivains, the Logiservices association, the CAE Antigone, the Mobilex association and the Conciergerie Solidaire de Bordeaux (head of the network). Two permanent employees develop the projects and provide support for the caretakers. While this is a new approach for the time being, it is a promising one. The city and the Eurometropole want to roll out a network of community-based concierge services across their territory, to meet the needs of local residents in a spirit of territorial fairness. Two new conciergeries are already planned, in the Hoberg district of Strasbourg and in the Ecrivains district of Schiltigheim and Bischheim.
Funding
The budget of around €70,000 is funded by :
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contributions from residents (€10/household, currently 100 households have subscribed)
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the French Post Office (La Poste), which partly finances the postal relay activity (€400/month + share of services)
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subsidies from the city contract, as an experimental project (City + Eurométropole + CEA) and exceptional support from the Ophea landlord of €20,000 in 2022.
The budget of around €70,000 is financed by : The refurbishment and fitting out of the premises were financed by Ophéa (€26,000), ESF funds (€24,000) and sponsorship from Bouygues Bâtiment Nord-Est in terms of expertise (€1,500) and financial support (€18,000).
The role of local authorities
Launched by the City and the Eurometropole of Strasbourg in conjunction with the State, the Region and the Collectivité européenne d’Alsace, Strasbourg is contributing €25,000 from its urban policy funds in 2021 and is paying the rent, the Eurometropole €20,000 (urban policy and SSE funds), the CEA €5,000 from its urban policy funds in 2021 and the State €5,323 in aid for integration posts in 2021. The participation of local authorities in the SCIC is in progress.