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To mark World Oceans Day on 8 June, the Jacques Martel Foundation supported a waste collection initiative on the banks of the Frayère in Cannes, organised by the CSIL (Conseil Scientifique des Iles de Lérins) and carried out by staff from the company Aromatech.

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This year, pupils at Appraxine School in Nice have been maintaining a correspondence with pupils at Kagnout School in Casamance, Senegal. The scheme involved an exchange of letters, culminating in the delivery of the letters to both sides by Arya, a civic service volunteer with the association.

The Jacques Martel Foundation was fortunate enough to be present when these precious letters were handed over in Nice. Through photos, anecdotes and personal accounts, the pupils gained an insight into the daily lives of their Senegalese correspondents. They learnt that in some villages, access to water remains a daily challenge. The children thus became aware of the importance of this resource, which is essential for life: for drinking, cooking, washing hands, growing food and, of course, staying healthy.

The session also provided an opportunity to highlight a fact that is worth remembering: water is not an inexhaustible resource. The pupils were encouraged to think about their own water consumption and the simple actions they can take to conserve it. They discovered that water is present everywhere in our daily lives, including in the food we eat. Producing certain foods requires considerable amounts of water, which led to fruitful discussions on how to reduce one’s water footprint and combat water wastage.

Arya then outlined the practical initiatives undertaken by Sens Solidaires in Senegal. Thanks to support from the Jacques Martel Foundation, the charity has helped three schools in Casamance to improve access to drinking water by installing water purification systems (NanoAids) as well as simple equipment such as Tippy Taps, which make handwashing easier and contribute to better hygiene in everyday life.

Beyond the figures and environmental issues, it was the human connections that left a lasting impression. The moment when the letters sent by the Senegalese pen pals were handed out stirred up strong emotions in the class. Through a few words, drawings and stories about their lives, the children discovered realities different from their own and were curious to learn more about them.

This event perfectly illustrates the mission of the Jacques Martel Foundation: to protect and safeguard the future. In partnership with Sens Solidaires, this project has helped raise awareness among young people about water-related issues, made them realise how fragile this resource is, and opened their eyes to other realities of life. A valuable experience that also demonstrates the importance of people, openness to others and solidarity for the Jacques Martel Foundation.

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With “Le goût des territoires” (The Taste of the Regions), the Jacques Martel Foundation is launching a call for projects to revive the flavours that are the soul of a region.

Faced with the standardisation of tastes, we want to support initiatives that highlight an iconic product, a forgotten recipe, local expertise… and breathe new life into a vibrant and sustainable local food heritage.

Because promoting heritage through taste is not just about cooking.

It is about preserving culture, supporting local producers, creating links between generations and encouraging healthy and responsible eating.

This call for projects fits in with two of the Jacques Martel Foundation’s key missions: supporting healthy and local food & promoting the heritage and culture around us. It also lines up with the Fund’s purpose: Protecting and passing on the future.

📣 Committed associations and local stakeholders, the aim of this call for projects is to support you in developing inspiring, structuring and unifying projects that can bring your region’s food identity to life in a tangible way.

Find out more about the call for projects, how to participate and eligibility criteria ⤵️

The taste of the regions – Application file

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🔹 Environmental issue

It allows waste to be removed from the coastline before it breaks down into microplastics or is ingested by marine wildlife.

🔹 Awareness

Seeing, touching, and sorting waste makes pollution visible and tangible. This experience is often decisive in bringing about lasting behavioral change.

🔹 Scientific issue

When waste is sorted and analyzed, an essential step for Surfrider, it helps identify sources of pollution. This is known as participatory science.

🔹 Collective mobilization

Each collection creates a strong group dynamic and gives everyone the feeling that they can take action, here and now.

It was in this spirit that, at the end of December, the crew of 𝗟𝗮𝘇𝘆𝗷𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝟮 and the management of the Jacques Martel Foundation were delighted to take part to the collection, with the 𝗦𝘂𝗿𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗚𝘂𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗼𝘂𝗽𝗲 team.

💪 In numerical terms, the collection speaks for itself:

2 tires, 37 plastic bottles, 105 picnic waste items, 10 cigarette packs, 30 cigarette butts, 20 fishing waste items, 70 glass bottles, 80 metal items, and 50 polystyrene items.

All of this was collected on a peaceful bay that looks like something out of a postcard.

The conclusion is clear: responsibility is collectively shared.

This event also offered the Jacques Martel Foundation an opportunity to present a check for €30,110 to Surfrider Foundation Europe.

The call for donations launched as part of the “Objectif Océan” project is now closed, and a total of €32,250 has been donated to the association. A great success!

🙏 A huge thank you to all the donors for their generosity, as well as to the French and Guadeloupean teams at Surfrider Foundation Europe for their support, commitment, and enthusiasm throughout the project.

We have closed one chapter of the “Objectif océan” project.

But our commitment continues: protecting the ocean and its resources remains at the heart of our work. We will keep you informed of the next steps in the near future.

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Under the direction of Sergio Monterisi, composer and conductor, and Magali Thomas as stage director, 150 pupils from the eastern neighbourhoods filled the stage of the Nice Opera House for a rehearsal that was a huge success.

Why decide to support this initiative?

For the third consecutive season, the Jacques Martel Foundation is supporting the Nice Opera in the production of a participatory opera. This format immediately appealed to the Foundation’s governance: it allows children, who are often far removed from the world of opera, to discover the professions involved in opera and to experience collective creation through a shared work.

This educational project, which promotes access to culture for all, is fully in line with the Jacques Martel Foundation’s mission to support education.

Culture creates connection—a precious connection in our communities, at a time when relationships are increasingly being built remotely, behind screens, an issue that is also important to us.

Finally, art plays an essential role in the circulation of ideas and the opening of minds, countering the uniformity that certain uses of social media can produce.

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1. Protection of marine resources

The ‘Objectif Océan’ project dominated much of the year. The challenge was commensurate with the collective commitment.

• Launch of an appeal for generosity during a transatlantic crossing between the Canary Islands and the Caribbean, in order to raise awareness among as many people as possible about the threats facing the ocean. All donations collected were donated to the Surfrider Foundation Europe.
• Organisation of a waste collection in Guadeloupe with the local Surfrider team, to remind everyone that they can take action at their own level.
• Support for the No Plastic In My Sea association in creating a fact sheet aimed at limiting the use of plastic at sea. This information sheet was given to more than 150 crews who took part in the crossing.

Earlier in the year, the Jacques Martel Foundation co-hosted an educational stand on the preservation of marine ecosystems with Alexia Barrier’s 4myplanet association as part of the major conference on the ocean held in Nice in June.

👉 More information about our actions during the UNOC: https://fjmartel.org/oceans-au-dela-des-paroles-les-actions/

2. Actions in favour of sick children and their families

In 2025, the Jacques Martel Foundation continued its support for associations that provide daily support to sick and/or disabled children and their families.

Among the actions carried out:

The financing of a “Bulle d’oxygène” by the LEA association, offering around fifty children and their families a trip out to sea from Sanary-sur-Mer to see dolphins and whales.

The renewal of support for the Adrien association, which celebrated its 20th anniversary in May. This was an opportunity for the Jacques Martel Foundation to present its president with a cheque to help fund an essential project: the Maison Adrien. More information: Visiting the Maison Adrien

Other initiatives took place throughout the year, notably with the associations ‘Ensemble pour Louca’ and ‘Indigo 06’.

3. Support for education

This year, the Foundation took a broad approach to education, focusing as much on learning as on children’s well-being.

It worked with the association Lève Les Yeux to combat children’s overexposure to screens. There are many challenges: regaining concentration, memory and imagination in the first instance, but also reconnecting with oneself and one’s loved ones.

Thanks to Sens Solidaires, supported for the second consecutive year, schoolchildren in Nice were made aware of the marine biodiversity that is so close to them, yet sometimes overlooked.

With the Nice Opera, the Jacques Martel Foundation has committed to a major project: a participatory opera that took a year and a half to prepare and will enable 150 young people from Nice to discover an artistic world often perceived as inaccessible. To be discovered at the Nice Opera in June 2026.

4. Promoting local heritage

At the end of 2024, the Jacques Martel Foundation launched a public appeal for donations to restore the stained glass windows of Saint-Césaire Church in Saint-Cézaire-sur-Siagne.

This 18th-century building, the true heart of the village, generated a strong response; 100% of the target was reached and restoration work was able to begin.

5. Healthy & sustainable food

At the end of 2024, the Jacques Martel Fund launched a call for projects with the aim of encouraging initiatives promoting healthy and sustainable food, focusing on taste education and innovation.

Results:

• 10 projects received
• 3 winners selected
• Actions carried out with children from nursery school to Year 6 in three regions in the south of France – Alpes Maritimes, Lozère and Greater Avignon

From oceans to vegetable gardens, education to heritage, each initiative reflects the same desire: to raise awareness, mobilise and take concrete action for essential causes, alongside associations that we thank for their unfailing commitment.

It is now time to wish you a wonderful holiday season and a happy New Year, with one wish for 2026: that together, we continue to take action to protect and pass on the future.

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A great news : the restoration work will remain in the department, carried out by renowned local craftsmen.

This restoration project is part of a drive to promote and pass on local and historical heritage, which is very important to the residents of Saint-Cézaire-sur-Siagne. For the Jacques Martel Foundation, preserving and passing on “savoir-faire” is also a fundamental part of its mission.

At this stage, no date has been announced for the reinstallation of the stained-glass windows. The overall restoration project for the church is currently entering its final preparatory phase: protection and/or relocation of furniture and artwork, installation of interior scaffolding in early January. The work will then take approximately nine months to complete.

The Jacques Martel Fund is delighted to have been invited to attend the upcoming site meetings to monitor the progress of the work. We will be sure to keep you informed.

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All smiles, the seven crew members were greeted with applause from the ARC organisers and crews who had already arrived. It was an arrival that matched their commitment.

What happened in 19 days?

Sporting challenges

A year and a half of preparation for 19 days at sea: the commitment was worth it.

The crossing offered some exceptional moments, when Lazyjack 2 surfed the waves and covered the miles at high speed. Other moments were a little more technical, particularly when arriving in the tropics, with winds gusting up to 45 knots and waves of 2 to 4 meters.

Discovering the raw beauty of the ocean

Whatever the time of day or night, the ocean offered its immensity and beauty.

‘On the 12th day, the same feeling prevails. The days pass by without a care, the manoeuvres follow one another and are never the same, and every morning and evening we remain contemplative before the beauty of the skies, the stars and the sunsets. Pure delight.”

As well as its riches, with the observation of a rich marine fauna: cetaceans, diverse and varied fish (flying fish, mahi mahi, marlins, tazar…), fluorescent jellyfish and phosphorescent plankton.

Little visible pollution

The mid-term observation was confirmed: little visible pollution, a uniform blue as far as the eye can see.

A beauty too good to be true… the most insidious pollution is often invisible: microplastics, diffuse pollutants, imperceptible to the naked eye but far from harmless.

Next step?

The transatlantic crossing is over, but the Objectif Océan project of the Jacques Martel Foundation continues.

Surfrider Foundation Europe is an organisation committed to preserving and promoting a healthy ocean. Among its activities is waste collection.

This is the next step in the journey: waste collection on a beach in Saint François, Guadeloupe, with the association’s local team.

📆 See you on 21 December at 9.30am!

This will also be an opportunity for the Jacques Martel Foundation to reveal the amount of donations collected for Surfrider Foundation Europe.

💙 There are still a few days left to contribute.

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