As a kayaking teacher at the water sports center in Corbières, Brahim Timricht realized that more than half the children he taught did not know how to swim, and so he created the association Le Grand Bleu in 2000. The objectives were to: offer free swimming lessons, enable everyone to take part in water activities and open up new opportunities for young people in priority neighborhoods (QPV).

In parallel, Le Grand Bleu trains young people in water rescue jobs: 103 in 2023 and 400 since 2016. In 2023, the association became a certified Apprentice Training Center (CFA). Based in a new 350-m² hub, at the heart of the north district of Marseille, it offers three qualifying training courses lasting from 35 hours to nine months: Lifeguard, National Water Safety and Rescue Certificate (BNSSA), and Vocational Diploma of Youth, Popular Education, and Sports in Aquatic & Swimming Activities (BPJEPS AAN).

The project has several goals: to meet the growing needs of the city, which will be hosting the sailing events of the 2024 Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games, and to foster the professional integration of young people from the north district of Marseille, where unemployment is particularly high.

Lastly, the center aims to bring together a number of players in the field specialized in environmental protection. Each training module effectively includes a section on coastal and marine biodiversity protection. Once certified, these young people, who have in turn become mentors and activity leaders, will be able to raise the next generation’s awareness of the importance of these issues.