Alexa Interviews Laurent - The France Show 2018

Tutorial Transcript

So, hello Laurent. Hello. Hello. I would like to know the reason why you are here, at the France Show 2018. So, I am here because I work for the French Waterways, a French public body which manages the whole of the waterways in France, and particularly the Canal du Midi. And I am here with Marie, Astrid, from my team at the sponsorship mission which aims to collect funds for the protection of the Canal du Midi. Very good. So, how do you do to collect funds ? I would like to know what are the actions that you are taking? So, for the anecdote, it started in the 30s. They discovered a disease, which is called the canker stain and which has no cure to this day, in the state of New York and the state of New Jersey. Today, the whole of the United States are affected by the canker, which only attacks plane trees. And at the Canal du Midi, there are 42000 plane trees along the banks, and this is a monument which is on the Unesco World Heritage list since 1996. So, VNF (French waterways), which is in charge of the canal management, had to create a sponsorship mission to raise funds. In practical terms, today, we have a site called “Replantons le Canal du Midi.fr” where people can make a donation. In 4 years, we have managed to collect more than 5 million euros from private individuals, but also companies, as we have created a club dedicated to the replanting program, and there are many companies in the South-West of France, but also in Paris, which help us raise funds. Very good. When did you start these specific actions? In practical terms, the sponsorship mission was created in December 2013, and today we are lucky to count, four years later, 10000 individual donors and 70 corporate sponsors. So it is a sponsoring campaign which works really really well. Which enabled us, to date, to finance, in collaboration with the State and local authorities, the planting of 8100 trees. One should note that we replant all kind of trees except plane trees, mostly Turkey oak on 40% of the length and other species, and we have managed to cut down – unfortunately, because it is necessary to cut them down, we have no other solution – 20500 trees. Infected (trees) ? 20500 trees, plane trees which are infected or already dead, that we are obliged to cut because they are dangerous for tourists who go by boat or cycle or walk on the canal banks and that it is a security measure from the State which requires us to cut them down. How many are you, in the association, to work on this project? So, in fact, we didn’t need to create an association or a foundation or an endowment fund in France as this is often the case. We are employed by the French Waterways, and there are four persons who work on a daily basis on the fund-raising. Marie who mainly deals with the fund-raising among the general public and the communication. Astrid who is in charge of the management of the corporate club. Suzie who is our assistant/accountant/administrator and who is key to the mission, and myself who manages it. Well, I think we know everything. Thank you very much Laurent, it was very informative for me. Thank you very much, goodbye. Bye !