Siel Bleu Network: countries already established

The Siel Bleu Association was created in 1997, in France and more precisely in Strasbourg. How did the Association come into being? How did this idea come about? It's here, we explain you everything about the Association Siel Bleu below.

Jean-Michel Ricard and Jean-Daniel Muller, the future founders of Siel Bleu, were still students in "STAPS" (Sciences and Techniques of Physical and Sports Activities), when they discovered the fear of residents in retirement homes to take risks or to exercise.

During this internship, they built strong relationships with them and offer them adapted and fun physical activities.

After a 6-month experiment in 12 retirement homes in the Bas-Rhin department, the Siel Bleu Association was created in 1997 to generalize and offer its interventions on a national scale.

GymSana is the Belgian entity of Siel Bleu.

Is the name of the association an exception?

Indeed, in Belgium, the name of the structure is different. The choice of this name was adopted to be in line with the multilingualism of the country.

GymSana was created in 2008 through a meeting between Thierry, Jean-Daniel and Jean-Michel. Convinced by the cause that the Siel Bleu Association defends, but also by its values, Thierry was keen to set up this initiative in Belgium.

The development of GymSana shows that the meaning of words is important from one country to another and that it is important to adapt one's vocabulary according to the country and its specificities.

September 10, 2010: date that marks the official creation of a new association, Siel Bleu Ireland!

The Siel Bleu Association in France was recognized as an Ashoka Fellow in 2006. Through this network, beautiful meetings have led to the birth of Siel Bleu Ireland in 2010.

The development of Siel Bleu Ireland was based on retirement homes. They continue to be the main partners of the association today. The impact and the benefits of the sessions have brought credibility, which has made other retirement homes want to contact Siel Bleu Ireland and join the adventure.

Since its inception, Siel Bleu Ireland has worked with over half a million retirement homes and day care centers, offering programs tailored to all individuals, regardless of their abilities.

It was the identification of a social action opportunity that allowed the creation of Fundación Siel Bleu in Spain from 2012.

Thanks to these social actions, some forty senior centers and twenty retirement homes have discovered Siel Bleu sessions. Fundación Siel Bleu, based in Barcelona, has since expanded to six other autonomous communities in Spain.

When dance and music mix with APAHealth (Adapted Physical Activity) and become one!

Lorenzo, in charge of GAPDance in Switzerland, develops dance sessions for all audiences but also Yoga and Pilate for seniors. It was during a meeting between Jean-Daniel and Lorenzo in 2017 that an opportunity arose: to create a new branch in Switzerland, adding to the gentle gym classes, a dance practice adapted to seniors. This was the birth of GAPBleu in Switzerland!

Lorenzo's observation: In Switzerland, right now, there is none or only a few Adapted Physical Activity Health, nor dance for people in fragile situations.
In 2020, during the covid period, GAPBleu is being developed within Medical and Social Establishments (MSE), Protected Buildings (PB), Communes or Clubs for the elderly. Adapted dance programs as well as soft Gym, senior Gym and animal mediation (pet therapy) are offered to participants.

He is currently developing GAPBleu in the canton of Geneva and aims to extend his activity to other cantons and offer APAHealth at home and in companies.

Siel Bleu India is a Siel Bleu entity created 2 years ago.

Discover without further delay how the adventure started and the state of play of its activity.

During the covid pandemic in 2020, Manish participated in an Ashoka International training on innovation and global healthcare, where Siel Bleu was a case study.

The simplicity and effectiveness of the programs developed by Siel Bleu to help the elderly live a healthy and happy life touched and marked Manish. Then, he embarked on a project with Ashoka and furthered his research in this area. Conquered by the history, values and mission of Siel Bleu, Manish met Jean-Daniel, one of the two founders of Siel Bleu. This is how the Siel Bleu India adventure started.

Since the beginning, Siel Bleu India has been striving to become independent and autonomous. The first participants are those who are able to pay for their sessions. They currently work with two main groups: senior citizens, whom they find in residential communities, retirement homes, assisted living facilities, but also employees with Siel Bleu at work.

Our long-term plan and vision is that Siel Bleu India becomes self-sufficient in India and that the profits generated are given back to the poor people, who live in old people's homes, and who do not have access to basic infrastructures, food, clothes and Adapted Physical Activity. We would like to help these people.

Siel Bleu India is currently working mainly in Bangalore in face-to-face sessions and would like, through other partnerships, to deploy programs in other cities through online sessions.