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"Fête le Mur" nonprofit organization (Yannick Noah)

"Fête le Mur" (which in French literally means "wall practice" but is also a pun on "enjoy tennis") is a two-pronged initiative aimed at fostering social cohesion and helping young people find jobs.

The association enables young people in disadvantaged neighborhoods to play tennis, allowing the keenest among them to join clubs that are affiliated members of the French Tennis Federation. It also provides training for "big brothers", or sportsmen and women aged between 20 and 25 years from the same neighborhoods, allowing them to pass the first-level tennis coach certificate, and helping them find paid work within the scope of agreements negotiated with local private partners.

Created in 1996 by Yannick Noah, the Fête le Mur association currently counts 18 local initiatives in France and two in Belgium. The minimum requirements for a site are two tennis courts and a practice wall. Each site can provide quality coaching for up to one hundred young people by state-qualified tennis instructors, supported by educators. This year, the fourth national inter-site Fête le Mur tournament will be organized, with the support of BNP Paribas. The association aims to go even further, opening more sites and establishing a combined tennis-study academy to support talented youngsters.

BNP Paribas is actively involved with the Fête le Mur association to foster social cohesion through sport in disadvantaged neighborhoods. On April 12, 2001 BNP Paribas Chairman and CEO Michel Pébereau and Yannick Noah, President of the Fête le Mur association, signed a partnership agreement under the terms of which the bank will provide 1.2 million francs to support the initiative over the next four years (2001-2004).

BNP Paribas' commitment to supporting this innovative and already hugely successful initiative reflects the Bank's ongoing efforts to help combat social exclusion, while further strengthening its role as a leading partner to the world of tennis. In addition to sponsoring major international competitions, such as the French Open/Roland Garros, the Davis Cup, the Paris Bercy Tennis Masters Series, and the Women's International Tennis Tournaments in Nice and Strasbourg, the bank also supports close to 200 local tournaments in France and local tennis schools in conjunction with the French Tennis Federation (the "progressive tennis" initiative).