OREANDA-NEWS. November 26, 2012. The Delhaize Group Fund, managed by the King Baudouin Foundation, has provided support for 33 Belgian and Luxembourg initiatives in 2012: 14 in Flanders, 3 in Brussels, 13 in Wallonia and 3 in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. These initiatives encourage neighbours to get together and work for the collective well-being of their neighbourhood or village.

On 14 November, the Delhaize Group Fund announced the results of its 2012 call for projects, the fifth yearly call since its creation. A total of 33 projects, across Belgium and the Grand Duchy of Luxemburg, were awarded support worth EUR 150 000 in the aggregate. The prize-winning initiatives bring together residents from different social, cultural and economic backgrounds. They strive for a common goal: that of neighbours getting to know each other better and feeling good in their community.

Employees at Delhaize Belgium, Luxembourg and Delhaize Group Corporate offices were also involved in the selection. They voted ‘Equigaart, a collective garden in Junglinster’ of the association Equigaart Lenster in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg as winning project amongst a selection of the five best projects selected by the jury in Belgium and Luxemburg. This project was awarded the ‘Delhaize Associates’ Prize’, which doubles the amount of financial support provided.

The jury stressed the role played by residents who had come together to improve the well-being in their street, neighbourhood or village. Besides, a trend was confirmed by the projects selected this year, namely the link between ecological or environmental aspects and social cohesion. We have seen initiatives such as vegetable gardens, ‘green in the city’ combined with healthy eating initiatives among the projects selected. The jury has likewise noted the use of artistic and cultural levers to encourage interactions between local residents. Other themes having attracted the jury’s attention include support and literacy projects for newly arrived immigrants, creating ties between those who are established and new arrivals in the villages and the use of local knowledge as vectors of social cohesion.