Originally, the purpose of the Cultures du cœur ("Culture from the Heart") association was to allow people in difficult situations to attend or join in with cultural activities. Strengthened by experience, the association is widening its field of expertise and is offering sports organisations the opportunity to join in with existing operations.

Through its sporting project, the Cultures du coeur association gives access to sports events, equipment, practices and clubs to people at risk of social exclusion. The Jean-Luc Lagardère Foundation has joined forces with Cultures du coeur to allow young people in the Paris region without resources to practise kick boxing, judo, tae kwon do, or even karate with the world champion Laurence Fischer.

The aim of the operation is to allow young people to find their way, learn to appreciate precision and gain a taste for effort, team spirit and good health through the sport and employment programmes - and thus facilitate access to the world of work.
Twenty young people have already taken part in the programme out of the fifty participants envisaged. They will benefit from personalised guidance towards employment within their Local Project Group.

On April 5th 2008, Pascal Gentil, world tae kwon do champion, went to Epinay-sur-Seine to meet young people who, thanks to Cultures du coeur can now start learning Tae Kwon Do.

Other clubs in the Paris region will soon allow young people in difficulty to practice kick boxing, karate or judo.

Beyond this particular experience, the Cultures du coeur association - whose action promoting access to sport and culture benefiting people at risk of social exclusion is recognised by 600 social organisations across France - hopes to enlarge the project to reach out to the tens of thousands of young people encountered by the 82 Local Project Groups in the Paris area.