The Solidarités programs are a very concrete illustration of the cooperative and mutualist values of Crédit Mutuel de Bretagne and Crédit Mutuel Arkéa, which became a company with a mission in 2022. They also testify to the commitment made, as part of the adoption of a Raison d'être, to work for inclusion and cultivate a lasting relationship of trust with all members and customers, from the precursors to the most fragile. In 2023, 3.3 million euros thus enabled the Breton Federation to help more than 5,000 families, businesses and associations, and to finance emblematic actions in its territory. These measures will be renewed for 2024, with more than 3.4 million euros earmarked for them.

For forty years, Crédit Mutuel de Bretagne has been deploying solidarity programs. Comprising financial or material donations, the granting of personal microcredits, the waiving or reversal of charges, or assistance for borrowers in difficulty, they provide concrete help to individuals, associations or companies in difficulty, and support employment in the region.

Since 2020, these schemes have been strengthened: over 3 million euros are devoted to them each year, with the support of Crédit Mutuel Arkéa. And it is essentially in the local caisses, as close as possible to the realities on the ground, that the administrators, in close collaboration with Crédit Mutuel de Bretagne employees, identify support needs, study requests and decide on the granting of these aids.

More than 5,000 customers and members helped in 2023, supporting emblematic initiatives

This assistance has helped families, associations and local businesses to overcome financial difficulties, preserve or relaunch a business, or facilitate mobility and a return to employment.

A complementary envelope to the Solidarités budget of the local Caisses also enables us to support emblematic solidarity initiatives of departmental or regional scope, mainly in the fields of disability, dependency and the fight against social precariousness. Nearly a dozen initiatives were thus supported in 2023, for a total amount of €342,000.

A budget of over 3.4 million euros dedicated to these solidarity schemes in 2024

Nearly 3.1 million euros have been earmarked this year for assistance to individuals, professionals and associations, whether or not they are recognized as being in the public interest. In addition, the envelope dedicated to supporting emblematic actions on a departmental or regional scale has been increased: 380,000 euros have been earmarked for this purpose.

"The directors, in close collaboration with the employees of the local Caisses du Crédit Mutuel de Bretagne, are the architects of our solidarity schemes. On a daily basis, they bring to life our cooperative and mutualist values, which form the bedrock of our business model. Standing by those who are weakened by life's circumstances or the economic situation, and supporting the associations that contribute in large numbers to social cohesion in Brittany, is a reflection of the attention we pay to a fair and balanced sharing of the value we create in our territories. It also illustrates our commitment to being an ethical, supportive and inclusive company, right in line with the Raison d'être we have chosen for ourselves as of 2019, and with Crédit Mutuel Arkéa's adoption of the status of company with a mission in 2022. "

- Julien Carmona, Chairman of Crédit Mutuel de Bretagne and Crédit Mutuel Arkéa -