10/02/2026
08:34
As part of the “Building Tomorrow Together” call for projects, BIL has provided financial support to local players striving day in, day out to improve people’s well-being, foster social cohesion, facilitate inclusion and encourage access to education, sport and culture. Today, we’re heading to Luxembourg’s Ardennes to meet La Trace SIS.
2025 saw the launch of the first “Building Tomorrow Together” call for projects by BIL, with the aim of supporting local initiatives that reflected the Bank’s values and had a tangible impact within Luxembourg.
In this report, we met with Andrée Birnbaum and Franck Chabriac, founders of La Trace SIS.
La Trace (“The Trail” in English) uses animal-assisted therapy to provide educational and therapeutic support, offering people in difficult circumstances (young people in care, people with disabilities, people suffering from serious illnesses, etc.) the opportunity to forget about their worries for a while by participating in animal-related activities such as dog walking, event hosting, caring for the animals, and more.
Our main goal is to enable everyone, especially those who may be going through a difficult time, to overcome these situations, find the motivation and resources they need to get better, and bring about change in their lives through animal-assisted therapy.”
(Franck Chabriac)
In addition to the activities organised in Luxembourg’s Ardennes, La Trace also arranges expeditions with sled dogs in Finnish Lapland. These immersive trips are aimed at participants from all walks of life (young people in need, but also those interested in solidarity tourism) and offer the opportunity to disconnect from everyday life while enjoying new experiences.
In order to finance these projects, La Trace offers leisure activities that have the principles of solidarity tourism at their heart, including nature discovery trails, hiking with dogs and Finnish-themed evenings, as well as coaching, training and team building sessions.
The grant provided by BIL was used to fund the purchase of a new hospitality tent – a welcoming space that will be used to organise coaching sessions and educational schemes to serve as an additional offering on top of the outdoor animal-based activities
The financial support provided to local players is part of BIL’s general sponsorship policy, which aims to support initiatives with a meaningful impact on Luxembourg society. BIL’s commitments in the fields of education, entrepreneurship, culture and sport are testament to the bank’s desire to play its part in driving the country’s dynamic spirit
Discover La Trace SIS : www.trace-sis.lu
Are you leading a project aligned with one of our focus areas and looking to benefit from our support?
Submit your application via the online form.
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As a former professional athlete, Samy Picard developed his high standards and discipline through top-level sport. Today, as Head of Wealth Management Luxembourg at BIL and President of the Luxembourg Basketball Federation (FLBB), he embodies a successful career transition and passes these values on to his team on a daily basis.
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4:21
The fourth edition of Startuppers Night was held on 22 October 2019 at Technoport in Esch/Belval. The event dedicated to the start-up ecosystem once again kept its word!
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3:04
This third edition of Startuppers Night was full of surprises. No fewer than 400 guests took part in an evening organised by BIL in Technoport’s premises in Esch/Belval.
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