Support most vulnerable & fight against isolation

Bequeathed to Secours Catholique in 2019, Claire Combe is a 5-hectare site located in "la chapelle des Buis" district in Besançon.

Claire Combe is an ambitious collaborative project : it aims to become a hub of activities bringing together people from diverse backgrounds (precarious publics, supportive actors, members of the Church) around integral ecology. 

Managed by the Secours Catholique - Caritas France, the project is handled by 60 volunteers and is based on shared governance and collaboration with around 15 associations commited to social justice and climate emergency like Les Colibris, Guides et Scouts de France, Réseau Cocagne, or Unis-Cités.

This approach consists in deeply transforming our relationship with nature and others, giving priority to those experiencing a situation of poverty. The social, environmental, economic, cultural and spiritual dimensions are addressed through numerous projects linked by the site itself and the people involved.

Within this place, we will conduct many activities, such as : 

• the creation of a welcoming space dedicated to meeting and sharing : it wil gather about fifteen social, medico-social, environemental, cultural and popular education structures that find in Claire Combe a favorable place for the support of their audience.
• the elaboration of an educational farm : volunteers and precarious people practice eco-grazing thanks to the herd of goats present on the site. They also take care of farmyard animals such as donkeys, gooses or chickens.
• the organization of collective activities : volunteers will organize different workshops (harvest, pottery, adjustment works) along the year in order to create favorable conditions for meeting and conviviality but also strengthen the friendly ties that unite the members of the Calire Combe community.
• the keep of bees and growth of an orchard : bees participate in the maintenance of biodiversity. The harvested honey is partly conserved and partly sold for the benefit of Claire Combe.
• the cultivation of a vegetable garden : collective garden allow people from all conditions to learn how to cultivate and maintain a collective plot through environmentally friendly methods.
• the development of a spiritual garden :  an interreligious path dedicated to spiritual introspection.

In order to built this haven of peace and greenery, the Secours Catholique has conducted a feasibility study. It enabled us to decide on the economic model and thus make Claire Combe viable. Alongside, we are currently conducting an inventory of fixtures in order to determine the reliability of buildings, in anticipation of their future use.

Until the renovation of the dilapidated buildings, the Secours Catholique local team has purchased tents in order to ensure business continuity.

In the long run, this project should welcome about 50 people in precarious situations and 60 volunteers from different structures who will invest the third place on a recurring basis. Other people could occasionnaly visit the place to enjoy activities. 

The project budget is 115 315€, including small investments, carrying out of works and animation costs.