The strategy for involving residents in Outreau is based upon two small groups of tenants whose role is to spread the word about energy saving behaviour within the community.
They are backed by the Energy Ambassador, whose role has been inspired from the Green Doctor in Rushenden, as well as by the local staff, who are also being trained and informed about energy saving questions.
A tenants' association is created in Outreau14/04/2014
OUTREAU . The IFORE tenants in Outreau have reached a new milestone in creating an association, named Outrifore. Their goal: to maintain links between the French and English tenants engaged in the IFORE project in Outreau and Rushenden. And also to federate Outreau residents and develop values related to energy and carbon saving.
The association has fifteen members, all Pas-de-Calais habitat tenants concerned by IFORE in Outreau. They meet every fortnight. President Denis François is a resident of a prototype houses, and has been actively involved in the project's activities since its beginnings.
An Outrifore/Facebook page has been created. Their next move : organize an gathering of residents of the IFORE neighbourhood on Neighbours Day on April 29. And participate in the organization and facilitation of the Europe celebrations on 16 May.
As in 2012 , the children who took part in the IFORE workshops were invited to England to compete in the "Ecofab Pathway to Construction" competition on 21/6 in Hastings.
Ten youngsters from Outreau and Saint-Omer crossed the English Channel, bringing an insect house that they had made during the "ecological awareness" workshops in Outreau and Saint-Omer. The insect house was re-assembled in Hastings, adorned, and presented to the jury.
By late afternoon , the children were happy as they got the third prize out of a dozen in the competition.
From May to December 2013 , twenty IFORE workshops for children and adults, on the theme of Nature preservation and environment matters have been programmed in Outreau. They are driven by two enthusiasts: artist, Christine Machynia; and sustainable development officer, Amir Nicolas.
On Wednesdays , the "Visual Arts" workshop teaches children how to recycle bottles or other waste items into art. Amir organizes environment awareness raising workshops on a weekly basis for IFORE residents.
OUTREAU. The IFORE prototype works having been completed mid-June, the tenants of rue du Biez and place Mendès France in Outreau were visited by officials on 29 June 2012. Among them, Jacques Mellick and Jean-Claude Etienne, board members of Pas-de-Calais habitat, Fabrice Crepin, deputy managing director, Hervé Caux, director of the Côte d’Opale branch, Audrey Mayer, director of Innovation and members of the IFORE Consolidated Research Group, who visited Mr. and Mrs. Bouvot, who live in the first home to receive a "supply-air" (or "dynamic") window .
Other tenants, who are to receive future prototypes in their homes, were also present. Thérèse Guilbert, Mayor of Outreau (photo) and Jerome Capelle, Innovation Manager, both delivered a speech.
The event ended in music, with a barbecue meal made at a kitchen workshop organized by Stéphane Lemaître, youth activity worker at the Outreau Youth Centre.
HASTINGS / SAINT-OMER. The Pas-de-Calais habitat IFORE team took five children from the Saint-Omer Community house to Hastings, from 21 to 23 June, to attend the Eco Pod contest organized by ECOFAB (another Interreg project), at the Pathway to Construction event.
The children were able to show the work that they had been preparing for several weeks : a model made with eco-friendly materials.
The IFORE team was the only children team, all the other competitors were from an adult building training school. The children did not win a prize, but their model was a success.
IFORE also had a stand to promote the IFORE project and explain its issues.
BETHUNE. A group of 14 “Ifore" tenants and Pas-de Calais habitat on-site staff from Outreau, as well as Ifore team members, visited on February 1 the University of Artois Civil Engineering and geo-Environment Laboratory. They were led by members of the research team in charge of behaviour change strategy.
The idea was to make the tenants discover the research on the innovative equipment that will be installed in their homes in Outreau.
A device invented by the laboratory, which measures the heat flow through materials was introduced to them, as well as tests on supply-air windows which are to be installed in 2012 in the first 14 homes.
OUTREAU. Camera in hand, four youths aged 12 and 13 years were introduced to filming by making a film to investigate what other youths of their area knew of the Ifore project and what they thought of energy saving.
The program for this workshop included a visit of the ADCS (Association for Social Communication) premises, based in Liévin, a presentation of the necessary equipment for making a film, and the explanation of the various phases of fim making, handling equipment and editing a story.
On the second day, they chose their sequences and wrote comments like real"pros" with the help of Stéphane Bruhier, journalist and director and ADCS.
Check out their report on YouTube here .
OUTREAU. So that the various local participants in the Ifore project can meet, organize exhibitions and workshops, a site hut has been installed in a central location of Outreau, the place Pierre Mendes-France.
The "hut" is to be replaced by a more permanent location as soon as possible.
It will host during the Autumn holidays the architecture workshops where children can make models of the neighborhood.
The idea was inspired by the Rushenden Community House.
ARRAS. The sociologist firm C. Beslay presented to Pas-de-Calais habitat on September 21 the results of its investigation into the habits of the Outreau tenants involved in the IFORE project.
The idea is to better understandthe uses and level of acceptance of innovation and change within the project. The survey was conducted from 50 questionnaires completed by the Ambassador of energy when visiting residents.
Among the results , the profile of the people concerned: on average relatively elderly, they have lived in their homes for a long time: over 15 years, for half of them.
His mission is to link people and all project players (municipality, Pas-de-Calais habitat, architect, researchers at the University of Artois, team of sociologists, etc ...) to keep them informed on project progress and support them in their appropriation of technical solutions.
